Whence Cometh the Rain
by aratcorien
Summary: Laguna remembers Raine, and their marriage to Squall and Rinoa who came to Esthar to ask Laguna questions about Griever. Flashbacks of Laguna and Raine, and a plot to save the Lionhearts. Romantic comedy mixed with a supernatural thriller. LRaiSRi
1. Bad Day and Unexpectedness

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DISCLAIMER: I do not own FF8, or anything to do with it, kudos go to Squaresoft for the brain power to come up with this most excellent world of characters and stories.  
  
This is a new fic, it is about Laguna and Raine's relationship, and some added content, etc. Enjoy. To music, my everlasting muse, and the rain, my other muse.   
  
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What if there was a chance to ressurect the fallen? What if the memories of one could recreate a person? A feeling? A Dream? A Life? If it were possible, would that be worth fighting for? Would it be right?  
  
Laguna stood in his office and sighed. Today had been a bad day. Not one of those crisis world-go-boom bad days, but the long ones where your alarm doesn't go off, no hot water, burn your toast, find a hole in your favourite sock, sack load of paperwork on your desk, when you calmly ask for your coffee, are told the kitchen staff has run out, your niece borrowed your music and your car breaks down all before 3 pm. He had yet to see time do more than crawl as he waited for some sort of interruption from his work. It was times like these where his mind wandered back to his time with Raine, and how sorry he was for not saving her, for not being able to be with her when they had their son. The oldest wound still hurt with a pang of self-loathing and an ache that dripped like venom drip by drip. Worst of all, Ellone had gone to rebuild Edea's Orphanage and she was the one that kept the venom from dripping into his face, Kiros was off training a special ops division, and Ward... well let's just say Ward wasn't that talkative, plus, Laguna didn't know where he was. Probably with Kiros, so all in all, papers piling over his desk, treaty this, amendment that, President Laguna Loire had nothing for it but to sit and remember while doing his work. As he mused, Laguna twisted the wedding band he wore as a constant reminder of Raine, not like he needed one, but he really didn't feel like taking it off, around his finger absently dreaming about what could have happened if he could have saved her.  
  
"I love you, Raine. I always will, but ... it just... it's getting so HARD!" he said, flumping down into his oversized office chair like a rag doll,  
  
"I'm growing old here, old without you! We promised to grow old together, Raine! To have turkey dinners with our children and Ellie, to grow lots of flowers and go on trips, we promised to go on living together, but ... but you're not here. Is it so much to ask to want you to be HERE?" he didn't notice as the Presidential aide opened the door, seeing that President Loire was at it again, talking to that ring of his, so the aide calmly closed the door, leaving the President alone with his memories.  
  
"I don't even have your picture anymore. I can hardly remember your face. I get close, there you are, your beautiful, shinning eyes, your long brown hair, that silly yellow head band you wore all the time" he said with a chuckle, miming out her face with his hands,  
  
"But then, your nose is gone, and for the life of me I can't remember your nose, or the way your cheeks crinkled when you smiled, or how your breasts heaved so magically when we ... Hyne, it's been so LONG! I fought wars, I took chances, risked everything to save you, to keep you HAPPY, but ... but I had to pay the price for loving you too much, for allowing our life to be perfect. You sacrificed yourself, Raine! Why did you have to die!? Why couldn't you live, raise our son!? Squall... he's so... he looks a lot like you, that's what helps me remember, he's got my nose, that's why I can't picture yours. You'd be so proud of him... I wish you could see us now"  
  
A light rapping came to the door as Laguna wiped his face with his hands, sniffing back tears as he shook his head, willing the tears to go away.   
  
"Door's open!" he called, as the same Presidential Aide calmly opened the door,  
  
"Someone to see you, Mr. President"  
  
"Hm? Me? But I don't have anyone down on my sch..."  
  
"Hello Father"  
  
"Squall!" Laguna said, the young man coming into view, as Laguna jumped out of his chair, knocking it over in the process as Squall half cringed at his father's display.  
  
"Oh, stupid chair... always gets in the... come in! Come, I'll... cancel everything... are you hungry? Do you need something? Is there a secret plot to have you usurp my Presidency? Usurper! I mean..."  
  
Squall stood just inside the doorway with one hand covering his eyes. He had just gotten used to the idea of this idiot being his father, and generally had been getting along at a descent level.   
  
"Oh, sorry... I ought not to... Shirley, will you leave us some space please? Oh... and can you tell Chef that there's going to be an extra person..."  
  
"Two... there's two people" Squall piped in awkwardly, clearly wishing to melt into the floor as Laguna could hear a girl's giggle coming from the other side of the door, and the aide walked briskly out of the danger zone.  
  
"Oh? And who might the second people be?" Laguna said, smiling as he put his hands on his hips in mock ticked-offishness. Squall moved his mouth up and down, before a slender finger could be seen poking him once in the ribs,  
  
"Come on, Squall, let me at least get away from the door!" Rinoa laughed, swerving from behind Squall and swinging herself around him with her arms around his waist. If there was anything that would make Laguna flip out more than his son...  
  
"Rinoa! What a surprise! I mean, Squall's a surprise, don't get me wrong, but I always thought he fought like the Plague to keep you as far away as Dr. Odine as possible!"  
  
"He does, but I insisted. Hello, Sir" Rinoa said, stepping closer to the older man, who belayed her outstretched hand to give her a hug.  
  
"Any girlfriend of my son, is more than welcome in my house, call me Laguna, please... I'm not old enough to be Sir-worthy yet am I?" Laguna watched quizzically as Squall smiled a bit, not much of a smile, but enough that Laguna could tell he was smiling as he rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
"C'mere, son!" Laguna said, stepping forward and enveloping Squall in a hug, to which Squall went straight and stiff as a board. Rinoa just laughed as Squall rolled his eyes and patted his father on the back, sliding out of the embrace in time to notice that it had been far to easy this time.  
  
"Lag... Dad? Something wrong?" Squall asked, grimacing as he noticed Laguna sniff a tear out of his eye.  
  
"Hm? No! No, there's nothing wrong... I'm just... I was thinking about your moth... it's been a rough day."  
  
Instantly Laguna Loire went up a few pegs in Squall Leonheart's mind as the man he never knew to be serious opened up and acted human for once, not all bubbly and bouncy, plus, it was the first time he had openly said anything negative about life. Rinoa took the two steps to Squall, securing an arm around his waist as she leaned her head on his shoulder as Squall looked in and away from his father's eyes. She inwardly giggled as she saw Laguna do the same; what was the saying about father and son? Squall surprised her, too as the room filled with five very important, long awaited words,  
  
"Want to talk about it?" Father and son locked eyes as it was Laguna's turn to be awed by his son's actions. Slowly he nodded his head, motioning out the door,  
  
"Yeah, yes, I want to talk about it. But not here... how about we go into the living room?"  
  
Squall nodded as Laguna's leg twitched, as the man let out a pathetic smile/laugh as he grabbed his leg with one hand, massaging it briefly before motioning to the door, and the Presidential Palace beyond. Okay, so maybe it wasn't going to be such a bad day for long. 


	2. Laughing in the Rain

ANNOUNCEMENT: The first chapter was more of a prologue, this one's a lot longer. I've been waiting to write Laguna and Raine's story for a while. Enjoy.

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The three people walked into the grand living room, with its plush leather couches, and rich red wall colour, a giant grand piano in the corner, and an ornate gold painted coffee table between the couches and a group of twin arm chairs. Twisting around, Laguna spoke,

"Coffee? Tea? A really stiff drink? Wait, are you old enough to drink? Nevermind... I can ... call for somebody... MAID!"

"Dad! No, we're good"

"Are you sure? Whatever your heart desires in a jiffy... at least I think it's a jiffy... maybe a bit... did you call me Dad? Yay! ...Aack! when did you get here?!" he said to the maid who had happened to walk in with her President's call.

"You called, sir?" The maid blinked and fought to keep her face from smiling at her President. This was obviously a regular occurence.

"Oh, right... are you sure you don't want anything? Rinoa?"

"I'll have some green tea, if you have it" Rinoa said, giggling slightly at how nervous Laguna seemed and gently prodding Squall's side. The Maid winked at Rinoa when Laguna had turned away.

"Okay, I'll have ... whatever" Squall said, shaking his head at the end,

"Just get him a second cup of Green tea" Rinoa broke in with.

"Rum and tonic and keep them coming... actually... just bring the rum... and the tonic, I'll pour it myself ...thanks" he said, miming out pouring two bottles into a tumbler as the maid left to bring the drinks. Laguna sat on one of the couches looking on affectionately as Squall and Rinoa sat on the adjacent one, both with an arm around the other's waist.

"Don't lose that."

"Lose what?" Squall said, suddenly scared at his father babbling.

"Don't lose your affection... Never let her go, Squall... and you too, Rinoa... I mean, not to presume that it could possibly... I just... You've got a very special love, don't ever, EVER take it for granted. It can be gone, like this!" he finished, snapping his fingers as the maid came in with a tray on which sat a pot of green tea, two cups, a bottle of rum, tonic, and a tumbler full of ice, she set it down on the coffee table and left, leaving Laguna to skooch the coffee table over,

"If the Society of Classical Estharian Interior Historians saw me doing this they'd put this room off limits for a week... oh well, cheers!" he said, pouring himself some rum and tonic as Rinoa stopped his hands from shakily grabbing the tea pot and pouring the tea in their cups herself. Gulping down some of the brisk beverage, Laguna leaned over, holding the tumbler out, his gaze turning on it as he let out a satisfied, yet sentimental sigh.

"Y'know, your mother made the best rum and tonic. I could never get it right, no matter how many times she tried to teach me, she'd do something to it... I dunno, add something that made it spark in your mouth, and go down smooth. She was the best bartender I've ever known. Sometimes she'd try to teach me some tips, so when she wanted to she could take a break, but I could never get it right. The teaching sessions would usually end up with several broken glasses and both of us drunk. Heh... she never got angry or frustrated or anything... just would shoot those eyes at me, by this time, Kiros would have taken Ellone for a picnic or something, most likely teach her some words in one of the languages he knew in the house adjacent to Raine's bar, and she would shoot those big blue eyes of hers... a lot like yours... except not as much grey, well, she'd look at me so mischievously and tempting, what could I do but fall for her hook, line and sinker."

The room fell silent as Laguna took another gulp of his tumbler, boring holes in the floor,

"Sorry... You didn't come half way across the world to listen to an old man reminisce"

"No, please... I want to hear it, what else?" Squall said, still awkward, but looking at the man more like a son should.

"First time I'd seen her... it was about two... three weeks after Kiros, Ward and I fell from Centra and Lunatic Pandora, she was taking care of me in the house that used to belong to Ellone's parents, I remember blackness, numbing pain and not much else, but then there was a cool cloth on my head, wiping gently at every curve of my face. It tickled, and I remember letting out a soft grunt as consciousness began to creep up and bite me from behind. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see... wow. I had no idea where I was or what I was doing there, but one look at that angelic face staring worriedly at me was enough to... okay so fast forward two months, Raine had taken it upon herself to get me well again, nursing my aching bones, treating my wounds, and feeding me better food than I had tasted in quite a while. Most significant of all, she was able to withstand my idiocy as I tried to walk again. I whimped out constantly, whined incessantly, but that didn't matter she still kept with it. Ellone, she was oh... 4? Well around there, at the time had already begun calling me Uncle Laguna, and I remember her colouring pictures with her crayons, while listening fascinated as I told her stories of the Great Laguna and his battles in a foreign war. Raine listened, too. Most of the time piping up questions and snarky comments, but slowly over those two months of healing, she had made me forget Julia altogether, and I grew to love her so much. Of course it was another four months before I even hinted at anything, and so did she, but I guess we both knew it, she'd tell me often when we were married that, 'You'll be the death of me, Mr. Loire, I just know it' and we'd laugh, I'd usually retort something like, 'Not if I go first' or 'Hyne herself couldn't stop me from keeping you forever' I think that's probably what went wrong. I tried to hold onto her forever, boasting for all the world to see that Hyne couldn't stop our love, that... even though I was just a soldier lost in a small town with nothing in it, even though I was just an idiot with a pen, that everything would be okay, because I had Raine and Ellie and nothing bad could ever go wrong as long as I had them."

By this time, Laguna had finished off the tumbler, and sat looking at the empty glass, tears tugging at his eyes as he swept his arm across his vision, wiping the tears on the fabric of his lazy sleeve that wouldn't stay up on his elbow. Squall had put his cup down, Rinoa sat with her feet up across the couch, head creased lightly on his shoulder, Laguna put his head in his hand, elbow resting on his knee, the other hand resting on the opposite thigh.

"She loved flowers. Everyone in town would say Raine's flowers were the best, that they lived the longest, that her life was in those flowers, heh. Funny how people can unwittingly be right. I was... I was in the field with Raine, we were picnicing, it was summer, and we had just gotten back from an excursion to Timber to commemorate another 'award winning travel article'" Laguna waved his hands in front of him to imitate a banner,

"We were adressed as Mr. and Mrs. Laguna Loire, she wore a soft pastel yellow dress, and would always lean over to check my tie... heheh... I was always fidgeting with it... she would just calmly hold my hand, putting it back in place, and lean up to kiss my cheek, then laugh as I swung her around in my arms. It was one of the happiest moments of my life." the smile Laguna wore began fading as he poured another rum and tonic, only halfway up the tumbler,

"We got back to our hotel room after hours of dancing... that was one thing I taught her, how to dance, once she got the hang of it she loved it, and we would tango across the marketplace in the rain. Another thing she loved, she loved the feel of rain on her skin. She would rush out in it, throw off her sweater and let the rain soak her clothes, spinning around until she got dizzy, then flopping down, motioning me to join her... I was always hesitant... didn't like getting wet... until she taught me how to enjoy it. Fact was, our first kiss was out of the rain, we went inside completely soaked. There was water dripping from our hair, I remember how she used to shake her head and body, splashing everything in range. That's when I first realised I loved her, she was laughing at my futile attempt to protect myself from more water, I grabbed my jacket, and threw it off in the corner, wringing out my hair as I looked at her shape, the way that thick sweater of hers clung to her curves, and I did something I never thought I would have courage for: I leaned in, took that ridiculous headband off her hair, brushed the strands of hair away from her face, and kissed her. Straight on the lips. She was shocked, I was shocked, Ellone had seen the whole thing and had proceeded to skip down the stairs yelling 'yoo loooovve heer yoo loooovee heer!' as we looked back at each other, she was licking her lips, I was nervous as hell I had screwed everything up, but she smiled, leaned up and kissed my cheek, slapped my butt and told me to 'Go home, dry off, breakfast tommorrow at 9!' I had looked back as she shut the door in my face, I could hear her and Ellone shriek in girlish glee, and I ran out into the rain, spinning like a top, jumping up victorious as I yelled, 'I love this woman!!' of course, after that I heard one of the townspeople yell, 'Good for you, now GOTOBED!' I walked around the marketplace for a while before walking through my door completely awake. It took me about seven minutes to dry off and find other clothes, before realising that I had left my jacket at Raine's, and seeing her light on, and the rain turning to a light drizzle, I walked behind our duplex and called for her to come to her upstairs window...

* * *

"Raine! ... achem Psst, Raine!" the man called, waiting for Raine to open the second story window,

"What!? You'll wake everybody up!"

"I left my jacket in your place!"

"Is that all?" Raine said, leaning out of the window, her elbows on the sill.

"I... can't sleep!" Laguna called up, careful to keep his voice as quiet as possible.

"Have you tried!?" Raine responded, stumping Laguna,

"Well... no?.. but!"

Laughing, Raine shushed Laguna, pointing inside,

"Ellone's asleep, wake her and I'll kill you!"

"Can I come in?"

"Please let him come in!!" another random townsperson yelled, shutting his window closed with a bang. Wide-eyed, both people looked at each other before breaking out in laughter,

"Okay, okay, come around, but only for a bit!"

"Got it! Thanks!" Laguna said, running around and meeting Raine at the door, once inside, he noticed she had changed and was wearing an empire waisted pajama top and matching pale yellow bottoms, a shawl lazily drapped over her shoulders. Laguna took a quick breath in. Hyne above that woman looked intoxicating in pajamas.

"Hey" He said, fumbling with the lip of the door and coming in. Their combined nerves were palpable and drowning in the small space.

"Hey. . . take off your boots"

* * *

"I went to her, she was startled and pointed to where she had already draped my jacket over a chair. I had completely forgotten about it, so I just went, 'Oh, right' grabbed it, and turned to go, but she stopped me. I whimpered, my leg giving out as it cramped up and I dropped the jacket, trying for Hyne's sake to de-cramp my leg. She had bent up to brace me, and in doing so ended up with both her hands on my chest. Wow. Raine was touching me! That was all I could think about, Raine was actually touching me, I leaned in and kissed her again, allowing the feel of her lips to send an electric buzz through my body, then she grabbed both my hands and towed me upstairs, I stumbled around like a moron, until I tripped over a flowerpot on the floor and both of us landed on the couch laughing our heads off, shushing each other all the time to try and not wake Ellone. It was years later that Elle told me she had been up the whole time, pretending to sleep as she watched us. Figures. Anything with Raine in it, Ellone was right there. Anyways, I was on my back flopped down on the couch, one of my legs over the back, Raine had landed on top, her hands on my chest and her head sunk into my neck laughing so hard we were both tearing up. It took a minute, but I managed to put my arms around her... I was ashamed to admit I didn't really know what to do, I'd never kissed a woman before... anyone for that matter, and Raine could tell I was nervous, she was too. We ended up lying on the couch, tangled together with her head on my neck as I stroked her hair, and she felt along the ribbing of my t-shirt until we both fell asleep. My last memory of that night was the smell of rosemary in her hair, then waking up in the morning with the smell of bacon and waffles and a blanket draped over me. Going downstairs, after ruffling Ellone's hair and tucking the blanket she had tangled in a heap around her, oh Hyne, it felt so right. All I wanted to do was make it last forever. Ironically enough, that was the same day Kiros came to Winhill, it was a beautiful morning and Raine smelled like... roses. It took me a minute to realize she had put on perfume. Raine went all out. I've often wondered how early she got up that morning, but I never asked..."

Laguna's voice dwindled off, as the half-full drink sat stagnant in his hands.

"I love her so much" he whispered, trying as hard as he could to be strong, to not cry, to snap out of it and be happy Laguna, but he couldn't, and Squall had a right to know.

"I can never stop loving her. Never. I'm fine, most of the time, but it's days like today... no distractions, where I find myself remeniscing and it hurts so much having her gone, I wish... I wish I had more to say. More to tell you, a Hyne-damned picture! I had a couple, kept 'em in my wallet, but there was a fire, what more can I say?"

The small trio sat quiet for quite some time, Squall running his gloved fingers up and down Rinoa's arm as she snuggled deeper into her lover's skin, Laguna downed the half tumbler of rum in one gulp. Standing, Laguna shook his head,

"You didn't come all the way to Esthar to ask about your mother. I know you didn't want to just come visit either, not yet anyway, we haven't known each other long enough. Why did you come?"

Squall looked up, a tear or two snaking their way down his face as he sniffed them away, frowning slightly as the maid, whose name was found to be Lily, came in announcing dinner.


	3. Cameras and Closeness

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ANNOUNCEMENT: I, the review monster I am love you all. Secondly, I've tried to make this more of a romantic comedy than some [okay okay, all but one] of my existing fanfiction, seeing as how wow! I'm not always seriously tragic! ... ... ... waitaminute... oh darn, I've done it again! heh. I promise this one'll be a lighter read. Happy happy joys  
  
Crescent Pearl - yes, it is a bit odd, but I'm justifying it with his really bad day, and Squall actually trying to be a sort of son. Plus, Squall has some things to ask/ clear up.  
  
Verdanii - I try, I really do.  
  
Lovely Princess Peach - yes, I'm trying to get Squall trying to make a relationship with the man work, plus, he's trying to milk Laguna for info. Flattery, flattery.  
  
Seth8 - DUDE! I'm not gonna stop! I just have to write it! heh glad you enjoy, I know I was fed up with the lack of Raine and Laguna-ness. I mean, c'mon! It's THEM!  
  
vilg oui - you're about to find out.  
  
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Dinner was perfect, as per usual, with enough amazingly presented food to want the diners to frame it on the wall. After sun-dried tomato chicken, wild greens salad, some indescribable yummy stuff and dessert that looked like a Cactuar juxtaposed with the Estharian Crest, Squall, Laguna, and Rinoa sat laughing from too much impecable wine,  
  
"Hahahahaha! So Squall, after throwing the conceited SeeD transfer over the rails told him that I could reccomend the perfect waterproof mascara to go with the pantyhose stuck up his butt!" more laughter burst out of the story of the random SeeD hitting on Squall's Girl as Squall humfed and "Whatever"'d his way to another half-full glass of Chardonnay as Laguna slapped his knees. Eventually dying down, the laughter subsided and Laguna looked to Squall and Rinoa, sitting across from him with the cherry wood dining table between them and said,  
  
"Okay, enough's enough. Do I have to break open yet another bottle of wine in order to get you to tell me what's really going on? Why now, why so unexpected, and why did you two come racing half way across the world to tell me of some poor sap in re-hab because Squall had a bad day?"   
  
Rinoa and Squall shifted, looking at each other before Squall reached for yet another glass,  
  
"Oh no you don't Mr. Leonheart! As your girlfriend and conscience, I am NOT telling him myself."  
  
"Whatever"  
  
"Squall Leonheart! Get up and tell him this instant!"  
  
Squall squirmed, whether it was the alcohol or something else, Laguna could clearly see sweat pouring down his son's neck. Not good.  
  
"Okay... okay, okay... Dammit, Rin!"  
  
"Let me get this straight, you can defeat bad-ass sorceresses, save the world, command Garden, BS GF's and you can't talk to me? I thought we were at least on speaking terms here." Laguna said, the alcohol making him say things he was definately going to regret.  
  
"Right. Well, thanks for dinner, it's been fun see you at.. thanksgiving?" Squall said, getting up to leave, before Rinoa reached out and slumped him back down to his chair,  
  
"Squall and I want to ask you some things"  
  
"Okay, Shoot. Well, don't shoot, 'cause if you DID shoot me, Esthar might not be too pleased, let alone the Interior Design History Society... you DO know how expensive these antique carpets are to clean, right?" Laguna said, immediately bringing a few choice words to mind: darn, lame, no-more-drinks, you get the picture.  
  
"Yeah, well..." Squall began, rubbing his neck with his hand. I'd love to see how worn and smooth his neck is from massaging it so much Laguna thought, snapping out of the idea as Squall continued,  
  
"Rin and I are... thinking of ... maybe... okay we're getting engaged. I kinda thought I might think you'd wanna know... be a part, maybe?"  
  
"Oh?... Congradulations, by the way" Laguna said, goading his son on,  
  
"You... don't think we're too young?" Squall asked, clearly having a deer-caught-in-headlights moment,  
  
"No, not really. No, I mean, if you weren't committed by now, you wouldn't have jumped out of a spaceship to save her, now would you. I mean, c'mon! The more time you're not married, is the less sex, right? ... ... oops that wasn't supposed to slip... Maid, maybe I will have that third bottle of Bordeaux, if you please..." besides shocking Squall into a bright shade of lobster, Laguna managed to ease a bit of the tension, morphing it from the sort of ill-family-meet the in-laws to knowing about your son's sex life kind. Oh joys of Heaven Beyond!  
  
"Yeah... okay... wierd, that went better than expected... at least better than your Dad, Rin" before questioning his son on what had happened with ole' ball-n-chains-General-Caried-away, Squall surreptitiously felt like blurting out,  
  
"We want to get married in Winhill!"  
  
"Pardon?" Laguna asked, cocking his head to the side,  
  
"Remember that duplex you told us about? Well... the artist who bought it is moving out... and uuuhhh,mmmmm ... . . . we sorta . . . bought ... it... yeah."  
  
"Not only that, but we found some stuff in one of the floorboards, a box of Raine's, birth certifiates, lettres, pictures, and... a few rolls of home videos... we thought... we thought you might want them"  
  
"Want them? ... Yeah... yes, definately, I want them, where? Are they here? Can I ... yeah, kind of an understatement, yes, yes I definately... What box? Nothing embarrasing, is there? I mean, which videos, have you... When did you find all this?"  
  
"Here. The stuff is in Rinoa's suitcase, no, we havn't watched them, and there's something else. What can you tell me about Griever, and my twin?" Squall finished up, taking his ring off from Rinoa's chain and passing it along the table to the man who sat stunned, gawking at the very serious young man sitting across from him.   
  
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"Raine! Heey, where are ya!? Can't be that hard to hide a yellow-sweatered woman amongst all this wood?" Laguna said, scanning the camera across the small room,  
  
"Only if you put the camera down!" Raine shouted happily from somewhere in the general vicinity of the Bar.  
  
"What is it with women and getting their picture taken?"  
  
"Women are naturally insecure about their appearance, that's what flattery's for"  
  
"Ah, guess I've gotta work on that, huh?"  
  
"You betcha, Mister!"  
  
"I mean, c'mon! What could I possibly get you that you don't already have? Flowers? Nope, you've got 'em EVERYWHERE! Nice touch, mind you. Chocolates? Naw, you make those! A House over your head? HAH! Oh Laguna you silly silly man! You own that! Clothing? I like my life too much to attempt that one!"  
  
"Be creative, you silly silly man!" Raine giggled from the other side of the bar, as Laguna kept quiet trying to isolate the sound. Bingo.  
  
"Creative!? What, getting you a zoo of stuffed moombas, chocobos, cactuars and tonberies wasn't creative enough?"  
  
"Yawn. Try again."  
  
"Okay, what about that picnic in the field?" Laguna asked, making a big deal of jumping over a table finding nothing underneath.  
  
"Maybe you should have gotten a checkered table-cloth and taken up love songs on the Guitar while offering me the last meat-ball"  
  
"Heey! I tried, okay. I tell you stories!"  
  
"Yes, yes you do. One saving grace"  
  
"Oh, only one?"  
  
"I'll grant that... what else?" Raine said, laughing into her sleeve as she could see Laguna's shadow getting closer to her hiding place.  
  
"I keep you warm"  
  
"Okay, so far I've got a storybook and a giant handwarmer for a fiancee. Good one, I'm sure nobody else can do those things"  
  
Smirking, Laguna saw Raine's sneakers from under the bar. Gotcha; getting down on all fours, he brought the camera awkwardly up as he crawled beside the bar,  
  
"I make you purr" he said, smoothing out his voice, as Raine shouted,  
  
"LAGUNA! Someone might have heard that!" Laguna took that moment to leap out from the other side of the bar and snap photos wildly at Raine, who ended up scream-laughing as she hid her blushed face in a futile attempt to stop the onslaught of photography. Giving up, she brought her hands down and pouted, getting a flash in her face as she broke out laughing as Laguna crept closer, eventually flopping down beside her, slumping his free arm around her, pulled her closer and spent several moments snapping photos of them together in various states of smiling, tongue sticking-out-ing, and light peppered kisses before the money shot: both of them smiling perfectly, heads touching, eyes alight. Quickly forgetting the camera to the bottom shelf as Laguna's other arm came around as the two engaged individuals kissed while laughing, as Raine purred, Laguna pulled slightly away, foreheads still touching,  
  
"See, no one else can make you purr"  
  
"Mmm, that's what you think" Raine taunted, eliciting a kiss on the neck from Laguna,  
  
"Oh yeah? I see, is it old man Porkins, or that mail-dude"  
  
"Eeww!! Laguna! Gross!" Raine shrieked, her oversized sleeves flailing and slapping Laguna's chest as he laughed shielding himself until he caught the sleeves and held her at bay.  
  
"Okay, okay, truce! No old man Porkins. In consolation, whaddaya say I get some more of that purring I was talking about, huh?"  
  
"You're gonna have to earn it, love" Raine said, batting her eyelashes as she took her still covered hands and pulled back Laguna's hair,  
  
"That's the general idea. I see..." Laguna seductively drawled,   
  
"I have" he kissed her forehead as he kneeled on all fours,   
  
"you in" another kiss on the cheek as they slid/crawled more firmly into the corner,   
  
"the corner" a kiss on the lips,   
  
"and I'm not" another kiss   
  
"...about" yet another kiss, a little longer lasting,   
  
"to let" another longer lasting kiss, followed by Raine's arms slinging around Laguna's neck,   
  
"you go, now am I?" Laguna finished, claiming Raine's mouth with his own, leaning his hands on the wall beside Raine's head as she began feeling his body with her sweatered hands. Quickly stripping the sweater off with a flump-fwoosh-thunkd as Raine looked a bit nervous into Laguna's loving, yet slightly wild deep eyes, he nuzzled her nose, kissing her jawline and massaging her back with his hands. Their children would have blue eyes, she thought, as he securely wrapped his arms around her waist and neck half lifting her to him as they kissed, her purring into his mouth as the sweetness deepened and she lost herself in the strong, nutty scent of her lover, her man, her Laguna. Yeah, there was that purr again, hey! No leg cramps.  
  
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Laguna sat with his glass watching the video of their hide-n-seek game, caught unceremoniously on camera by the security system Kiros had installed. It even had a good view of behind the bar. With Kiros as your security guy, nothing was sacred... or safe from scrutiny. It occured to Laguna that Raine must have kept the tapes, tears sporratically falling past his eyelids and down his face, not many, but more than there would have been had he not had too much to drink. Squall and Rinoa had gone to bed, safely tucked into their suite. Maybe Laguna should have minded that the unmarried couple were sharing a room, a bed for that matter, but Laguna never was a good father, and could only remember back to the heaven Raine had been, and the hell Squall and Rinoa had been through in the past year. Plus, some of the fondest memories he had of Raine were them just sitting together, or lying together, holding one another, not doing anything, but just... together. That bodily contact was the sweetest most sacred thing, more than the sex, or the laughter, of course those were fun, don't get him wrong, but something about the closeness, the trust, the respect and love for each other made those times all the more worth it. That was what he missed the most, sex he could deal with not having, hearing her voice could always be sidestepped from the voice in his head, but the closeness, the waking up at 5 am just because she shifted, just... feeling her in his arms and knowing that it was okay he had woken up at 5 am, because she was there in his arms, peacefully asleep. That's what killed. The emptiness, the waking from a bad dream to not have her beside him, stroking his hair until he fell asleep wrapped around her, the not feeling her breath softly against his neck, or coming back from a bad day just to ... see her, feel her, that was hell. How anyone could deny heaven when their loved one's gone, was insane to Laguna, because if it was so hard down here to deal with the nothingness, the empty bed, the colder nights, the not-feeling her toes trailing up your leg as she fought for some blanket, the comforting sighs of fulfillment after a goodnight kiss, then what could possibly be worse? Nothing at all. He didn't want Squall to miss that. Any of it. Who was to say if tommorrow Rinoa fell down dead, or was vapourized by a random accident? Who was to say she'd be there when he got back? Of course Laguna also had in mind that no son would have pre-marital sex with his girlfriend in the guest room of his newly-not-so-astranged father's house, but then again, he didn't know that much about Squall in the first place... Naw... that wouldn't happen... would it? It was 3 am, and Laguna hadn't slept a wink. He had gone through every photograph, piece of paper, length of string, every second of video tape, relishing each moment as eternally sacred, a peice of Raine. She had her diary in the box, Laguna hadn't attempted that one yet, something about reading someone's diary just didn't feel right, yet.  
  
Getting up on stiff, unwilling limbs, the middle-aged man stood, knees popping slightly as he stretched to the ceiling, turning off the tape with the freeze frame of him standing behind Raine, his arms draped around her as she waved at the camera. That was his Raine, always smiling, always alive... what a mess. He thought, smelling his breath, running his fingers through his hair, giving up as they got tangled in the uncombed mess. Walking quietly as he could he went to the guest room, across the hall from his own, and listened for any forbidden noise behind the door. No, he wasn't being paranoid, just respectful, something Ellone and Kiros learned quite early on in Raine and Laguna's marriage. To this day, Ellone refused to look on the experience as particularly scarring; he didn't believe her. Opening the door with a quiet creek, Laguna looked inside to see Rinoa and Squall firmly tucked in together, Rinoa wearing what looked to be an extra shirt of Squall's, as the moon illuminated the lovers snuggled effortlessly together,  
  
"I hope it lasts. Hyne, I hope it lasts" Laguna whispered, saying goodnight quietly before shutting the door and walking to his own room, overly grandiose, but he had no choice in the matter. Not even bothering to clean himself up, he threw his clothes off, donned a pair of pajama pants carelessly thrown over the side of his bed, and flopped beneath the ultra-plush Presidential covers,  
  
"Hyne, I wish I felt you... Just one more time, I wish I had you... goodnight Raine"  
  
As Laguna fell into a deep slumber, it occured to him that he had not even once looked at another woman since Raine, and that it was okay, sure people had told him Raine wouldn't have minded, but he would have, it wasn't that he was still grieving... okay maybe a little, just that it was her. She was the one, the only one, ever. Julia had been a fling, an enchantment, a fantasy, but Raine, she was tangible, she was... a miracle come to one very broken ex-soldier. Maybe tommorrow, maybe tommorrow he'd read her diary, yeah... he'd like that. 


	4. Scars and Grievers

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ANNOUNCEMENT: All... or more accurately some of your questions will be answered this chapter, and yes, MORE LAGUNA/RAINE! YAAAAAAAYYY!!!! *flailing arms like Kermit de Frog*. And some... Squinoa if you will.  
  
Twin-Lance: yep, yet another new story [where do I get these urges?] My inner muse is working overtime, so yes... twin, quite... you've got tibs? What's that mean? All I know is that I've had this story in the works forever, just didn't have the right experience to do it correctly.  
  
Crescent Pearl: Oh yes, Rinoa is the boss of Squall. Woman power. Whoot! Raine was Laguna's real love, that is more than apparent, he didn't really love her just was infatuated with her. Totally different thing. Totally.  
  
Seth8: Eventually everyone wants to know their origins, that saying is quite profound. Enjoy  
  
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Another new day, Mr. Sun was calmly fluttering through the curtains as some local Winhill birds decided to compose a few concertos outside the window. Stupid birds. Stupid sun. Stupid day. Laguna, who clearly was experiencing the odd sensations of a hangover muffled out the happy concertos with his pillow, not a good move concidering it meant having to move at all, but then again, better than the Mozarts on the window pane. Someone shifted on the bed, and Laguna, out of the fog and pink elephants had a distinct memory of Raine. More of a smell, really, the smell of roses, the sound of laughter and broken glass, the face of Raine, an arm... right!   
  
"Uuuggggmmm Shut up, birds!" Raine said, slinking her way through the sea of sheets to flop a naked arm over Laguna's half-turned chest and back. It took a second before the sensation of Raine's skin died down from the best feeling in the world to a sweet electric buzz.  
  
"Doesn't work" Laguna mumbled, "Here, have my pillow" he concluded, flumping the pillow so it encompassed both their heads.  
  
"Mmph. Not helping." Raine mumbled, "You're the big warrior man, do something"  
  
"Launch a grenade out our window?" wow! he called it 'our' window!  
  
"Use Silence!" Raine chuckled, flopping another hand against his chest. He caught it.  
  
"Woo... how'd I do that?" Laguna mumbled,   
  
"'Cause you're amazing" Raine finished, eliciting a moan from Laguna as she felt up his leg with her toes. It felt... wow. Okay, so Laguna wasn't exactly coherent, but the soldier-turned-journalist couldn't move major parts of his body, like... legs... let alone voluntarily complete sentences. That moment seemed to last forever, even the birds didn't bother him as Raine snuggled up to her 'warrior man' as the sensations of naked skin against skin sent fireworks to join the May Day parade already thundering through Laguna's head.   
  
"Laguna?"  
  
"Yahah?"  
  
"Did ya really mean to say our window?" Laguna opened his eyes to see the most beautiful woman in all of Hyne's Golden Creation staring at him, half expectant, with dazzlingly blue eyes. It took time before Laguna was able to kiss the eyebrows above those dazzling eyes and form some sort of answer,  
  
"No, but I don't retract the statement by any means." he could hear Raine's muffled chuckle as she put her forehead on Laguna's chin,  
  
"How can you be so coherent?"  
  
"Dunno... it'll never happen again, promise"  
  
"Can it?"  
  
"Me be coherent?"  
  
"Can it be our window?" Raine snuggled up against him, both of her hands smoothing out the skin on his chest, one of her legs snaking around to rest on his hips.  
  
"Hyne Almighty, yes." Raine seemed to sigh, or lack oxygen, as she raised herself higher, putting her lips on Laguna's locking them both together with her arms around his neck, feeling and tugging loosely at the long strands of hair. Snapping out of his hungover weariness, he kissed back, as more of what happened the night before encompassed the minds of the young, barely married couple's morning.   
  
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Laguna woke with the familiar fuzz of too much to drink, the sun boring holes through the blinds, his comforter on the floor and some sort of crow... or overly tiny dragon squaking outside his window. Note to self, kill all squaking birds found outside Presidential Window. He thought, half expecting to flop his arm over another torso.  
  
"Dammit, another dream" he was really getting to hate this. Then again, it was a beautiful day, his son was visiting for the first time in ... okay so it was the first time, his soon to be daughter in law was sleeping soundly in his son's bed, and Kiros was suposedly returning with what little was left of the recruits. Getting up out of bed, Laguna shook his weary head, yep, still attached, stumbled to the bathroom and six point four minutes later emerged dressed in the usual. Walking out of his room and shutting the door, Laguna walked out to the terrace to find somebody already there.  
  
"G'mornin' Squall" Laguna said, hands in his pockets as he walked out to where his son stood arms out at his sides, he looked like a cross.  
  
"Hm? What time is it?" Squall said, putting his arms down and sitting on the edge of the veranda.  
  
"Don't wear a watch, but the Butler'll be here around oh, 9:00 am to herd us in for breakfast" Laguna said, leaning on the ornate ledge,   
  
"That early, huh?"  
  
"Hey, I happen to have a schedule to follow. 900 breakfast, 9:45 office, 10:00 infiltration of paperwork."  
  
"Infiltration?"   
  
"Yep. Here's a little advice: when in a point of leadership where there's paperwork, treat said paperwork like enemy fire, that way you attack it, get down early and have time for a cup of coffee before the inevitable onslaught of clients, well-wishers, and treaty negotiators"  
  
"Does it work?"  
  
"Every time. Of course, it also teaches you to never underestimate the enemy, namely your Secretaries and Presidential Aides, and keeps them away from your personal life on those days when the newbies wear low cut shirts"  
  
"Right." silence found it's way around the two men, Laguna happy to close his eyes and feel the breeze, until something hit him,  
  
"Where's Rinoa?"  
  
"She's not the kind of girl you wake up without a death wish. Or heavily armed"  
  
"Aah, got ya. Remind me to tell the Butler not to go on the wake-up call"  
  
"Yeah. Last time someone decided to wake her prematurely, they got blasted through the wall. Just so happens she keeps a couple spells handy for the occasion"  
  
"That they would be you, right?"  
  
"... Yeah."  
  
"Word to the rookie: when it comes to waking sleeping beauties, kiss first, then duck and roll"  
  
"Heh." Squall gave a little chuckle before standing and stretching his muscles. Laguna looked at his son in triumph.  
  
"What?" Squall asked, suddenly worried Rinoa was to be found behind him.  
  
"You laughed"  
  
"No I didn't"  
  
"Yeah. Haha. My son laughed at my joke!"  
  
"That wasn't a laugh!"  
  
"Then what was it?"  
  
"A snigger"  
  
"Nope. I distinctly saw a smile"  
  
"There was no smile!"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Whatever"   
  
"Hah! You did laugh!"  
  
"Don't publish it or anything."  
  
"Heh. I can see it now: Long Lost Loire Son Laughs, it'd make a great front page spread" Laguna said, once again putting his hands out like a banner. Squall just crossed his arms and huffed, facing the opposite direction from his father. Must've been earlier than he thought. A minute later, Laguna had sat on the ledge, sighed a thick, heavy yawn and slumped his posture as Squall took a hold of the ledge, jumped up and sat beside his father.  
  
"Umm... Dad?"  
  
"Okay, that's the third time you've called me that. You either need money, land, heavy weaponry, big secrets, or are actually getting used to the idea of this moron as your father"  
  
"Griever. What is it?"  
  
"Hmp. Secrets. Of course I was hoping the latter, but then again, words are just words"  
  
"When we were fighting Ultimecia, Griever was there. She summoned him to fight, and it was wierd, like it knew me or something. What do you know?"  
  
"Griever is a GF. Rare one, doesn't junction itself to just anybody. About ten times as powerful as Bahamut, rivals Eden, he's a protector of Royalty."  
  
"The ring."  
  
"That ring belonged to your mother. It was her mother's before her. From what we could find out it's old, some sort of magical heirloom. she'd wear it on her thumb sometimes, most times she just kept it on a chain looped onto her jeans. There used to be some sort of engraving on the inside, can I see it?"  
  
"Please" Squall said, taking the ring off his finger, Laguna inspected the silver band, the lionhead on it, the wings sweeping along the side, then looked on the inside,  
  
"Yep, there it is" Laguna said, pointing to what looked like squiggles and patterns on the inside  
  
"So?"  
  
"So, that is what used to be your mother's clan's battle language. Before Galbadia or Esthar, or any of the countries today, there used to be many clans who'd war or generally live their own lives. Several were nomadic, some were more stationary, but Raine's clan lived on Centra actually, Edea's House is standing over ruins of what used to be their major embarkation point. They were mariners and summoners, they built strongholds all over the world, the Tomb of the Unknown King was pretty sacred to them, they built it. They partnered with GFs quite a bit. The Brothers GFs stayed in the Tomb to protect their king, in the mean time forgetting that their constant juncture and protection of the king left his spirit unable to leave. I take it from what Irvine was telling me you took care of that."  
  
"Yeah, Irvine has Brothers now"  
  
"Okay, this is where it gets wierd. Your mother's family was the head of the clan, this ring is the symbol of leadership. Within this ring is the power to call on Griever, the Guardian of the Royal line, a Guardian Force endebted to Raine's Line for as long as the line remains unbroken."  
  
"That means... Ultimecia."  
  
"Yes, most likely, Ultimecia is going to be a member of Raine's line."  
  
"So if Rinoa and I don't have children, then"  
  
"Griever would pass to the next person in Raine's line."  
  
"What happens when Raine's line is broken?"  
  
"Exactly what happened to Brothers"  
  
"What about my twin?"  
  
"Where'd you hear about that?"  
  
"Ellone sent me back into your memory, I saw when you found out about Raine's death, and in the box there was a death certificate, birth date the same as mine, but"  
  
"She was still-born" Laguna cut Squall off, making Squall grimace,  
  
"Dad, I have a right to k..."  
  
"She's dead. Took Raine with her. End of discussion. Keep Griever's Ring with you wherever you go. It'll only summon Griever to you, it's no good to anyone else." the older man snapped.  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"We tried" Laguna jumped off the ledge and tossed the ring back to Squall, walking briskly back into the Presidential Residence, clearly not wanting to discuss such a touchy subject. Squall sat there brooding over the information Laguna had told him,   
  
"What is going on?" Squall whispered, fingering the ring until he heard a rustling behind him.  
  
"Uh oh. Squall's in pensive mode again. Spill, what happened? Laguna looked like he could lob off someone's head with a butterknife. I've never heard someone slam a door so loud." Rinoa said, lacing her arms around Squall's neck from behind.  
  
"Talking"  
  
"Got that. What about?"  
  
"Griever"  
  
"Oh, I take it didn't go so well?"  
  
"Understatement"  
  
"Squall, can you speak in more than one word sentences? You're beginning to sound like Fujin"  
  
"Huh? Oh, Sorry"  
  
"Three, well at least it's an improvement"  
  
Squall turned, put his arm around Rinoa's waist and laid his head on her shoulder, bringing her closer to him,  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Tell you later"  
  
"Squall? Is everything alright?"  
  
"Laguna's hiding something big."  
  
"Don't you think he has a right to?"  
  
"What?" Squall said, looking up into Rinoa's hazel eyes. She took Squall's face in her hands,   
  
"I mean, he's re-hashing some of his oldest, most painful hurts here. He loved Raine more than anything, what would you feel if I suddenly died and was burried without your knowledge? It's hard for him. Give him time, please? We'll figure things out eventually, promise."  
  
"Rinoa?"  
  
"I'm right here, Squall."  
  
"Do you want kids someday?"  
  
"Wow. He really did a number on you. Yes, someday hopefully"  
  
"Me too."   
  
Rinoa didn't know all of what was going on, but for Laguna to reduce the great anti-social Squall Leonheart to talk of future crying babies, it had to be big. Of course from what Rinoa knew of Laguna it took a lot for the perky, bouncy President to get angry. Perhaps it was her turn to ask questions.  
  
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Raine sat on the grass thinking while quietly peeling the orange she had brought with her. She had never heard Laguna yell before. It had sincerely scared her, she just wanted to sink back into bed like a little girl and cry, but Ellone had beat her to it, and Laguna had stormed out, slamming the door so hard the foundations of the building shook. Raine had enough trepidation about marrying Laguna as it was, she didn't need anything more, but as fate would have it,   
  
"I never would have expected he'd react that way." Raine said to herself, fingering the ring on her finger, then leaning down to where another ring hung from a loop on her jeans. It all started yesterday, when they had taken a walk in the fields outside Winhill, and as dangerous as things go, they had been attacked by a wandering group of monsters. She watched him fighting, as she held Ellone, as he cast protect on them and continued on, wielding his machine gun and magic with such ease it terrified her. His face held the mantle of someone enjoying what he did, and it scarred her senseless to see him so alive. She never thought anyone could take such joy in killing things. It then occurred to her that there must have been others, that through his time in the Galbadian Army he took lives, and it wasn't just out of self-defence, he enjoyed it. Not the killing of people, but ridding the world of another monster... that had been the first time she saw him kill something, the glint in his eyes shocked her as he jumped up victorious and took the prizes left behind as the monsters faded away. He had turned around with the same smirk on his face he had after they'd kiss. It faded. Fast. As soon as he saw Ellone crying, and Raine, she was still terrified. He had tried to say sorry, but Raine had simply fled, ran back to Winhill with Ellone in her arms, Ellone screaming to go back to Uncle Laguna. She realised how dangerous Laguna Loire actually was. By the time Laguna got back, she had made dinner, he ate in silence until they finally argued, beginning softly, then shouting at each other.  
  
"You know I did this! You hired me to kill monsters!"  
  
"I KNOW!"  
  
"WHAT DID YOU EXPECT, I'D INVITE THEM FOR DRINKS AND PEANUTS!?"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Then what? What did you expect, Raine!?"  
  
"I didn't expect you'd enjoy it!"  
  
"Well, I'm sorry, but I happen to like ridding the world of pain, thank you very much!"  
  
"I was always taught taking lives was.."  
  
"You were taught? Look around you Raine, this town couldn't help itself if it had an army! Monsters aren't lives, they're dangerous! People FIGHT danger!"  
  
"What if we could..."  
  
"Fence them in? You can't negotiate with growls, Raine"  
  
"Stop calling me that!"  
  
"It's your name, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes! But the way you're saying it... stop looking at me like you did that monster!"  
  
'WHAT!?"  
  
"The smirk... you had that same smirk on your face. The one when you kiss me. It was there, Laguna. You can't deny that you enjoyed it... Like you enjoy me... ... Is that all I am? Some ... thing to be enjoyed then thrown? AM I!?! SAY SOMETHING!!!!"   
  
Raine was right up in Laguna's face, she could see his nostrils blaring, sucking in oxygen and spewing out poisonous gasses as the vein in his neck pulsed like a warning sign. His normally sweet, loving eyes were glazed over in grief, animalistic rage, and his body was trembling with bursting muscles, his voice, when it finally did come, was a low gutteral growl,  
  
"I never want to hear that again. I'm going to leave before I wake Ellone. Don't follow, I'm liable to hurt something."  
  
He began walking out, and she, her voice guilty, shaking,  
  
"B..breakfast at 9"  
  
"I won't be hungry." he seethed, grabbing his gun and slamming the door. That's when Raine broke down crying.  
  
Sitting there, Raine's normally happy face held a frown, then jolted as she got some orange juice in her eye. Finishing the peeling of the orange, she took a piece and bit, relishing the cool, citrus flavour. Laguna hadn't come home after that, the town was buzzing with rumours, and Kiros couldn't find him anywhere. One thing was for certain, from the bits of monsters in the surrounding area, and several places where trees used to occupy grenade pits, he wasn't happy. Biting another section of orange, Raine slowly sucked the juice out, licking her lips as some of the juice spurted onto her chin. This was a good orange. Ellone was spending the day with Mrs. Jordan down the road, she didn't want to come to breakfast, she had heard the screaming last night, and was scarred Laguna wouldn't come back. So was Raine.  
  
To her left, Raine heard a noise, finishing the orange section and placing another half-way in her mouth. Thinking it was a hungry monster, she bolted upright, ready to run like hell back to her bar, and Kiros, but instead, saw one tired, long haired ex-soldier limped up the hill with two pieces of his machine gun. Seeing her, he stood a little straighter, pensive,   
  
"What are you thinking about?" Raine asked, breaking the intensely awkward silence, chewing the orange section before swallowing it. Laguna scratched the back of his neck, dragging his leg a bit as he walked closer,  
  
"How much I'd like to be that orange right now" he smiled weakly, mirrored by her own smile of relief.  
  
"Yeah? I've got some left. You must be hungry."  
  
"And tired" he said, flopping down to put his head in her lap.  
  
"I'm... I'm sorry Raine, I didn't mean to get mad like that"  
  
"I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have yelled, I didn't mean... it wasn't my place"  
  
"Yes, it was. If you're going to marry me, it's only right that you see what I can do. After I left... I was lost. Not really, I knew where I was, but I just couldn't find my way back. I ended up fighting any monsters that came near me. I was so mad you'd even think about something like that. I love you, Raine! Hyne, I love you too damn much to hear you say that I'd even think you as temporary"  
  
"Laguna... I'm not going to lie, you scarred me. I was terrified. I was always taught... never mind. If I had followed through with what I thought, I'd be dead and you wouldn't have an orange right now, forgive me? For even entertaining the thought?"  
  
"Already have. Raine?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Can we just sit here for a bit? I ... sorta... can't feel my toes." Laguna asked, the weak, little boy lost smile creeping sheepishly on his face again, Raine beamed, put another section of orange between her teeth, and kissed him, both chewing their half of the orange before swallowing.   
  
"I love you" Laguna breathed, reaching up his tired limbs and bringing Raine's neck down to his, kissing her lips for the last little taste of oranges. 


	5. Music in the words of the world

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ANNOUNCEMENT: Okay, sorry this has taken so long, my other current fanfic: Nobus is just finishing up, so I'm doing double duty here. Griever makes an appearance, Raine wonders about the world, Laguna gets an earfull from Rinoa, and Squall goes out in the rain.  
  
vilg oui - I wanted them to seem more real, not just a fairy tale couple. Laguna is hiding somethings even he's not sure about. Yes, I always thought it'd be a nice twist.  
  
crescent pearl - I focussed on rage, and him almost snapping. Never thought Laguna'd snap, but I thought it'd add depth. I have a way of making things complicated, but I'm trimming this one down conciderably to my other fics. ... hopefully.  
  
Seth8 - I love your sayings! Griever always intrigued me, so this is my quirky way of dealing with that. And love, but that intrigues us all.  
  
Arami Heartilly - glad you're enjoying it!  
  
Lovelt Princess Peach - Yes for the fluffiness! Sorry to say there isn't much fluff in this chapter, but more will ensue in later chapters [by the chapter full]  
  
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'It's okay, you're gonna be okay. I promise, Laguna, I promise I'm not gonna leave you. Shhh, you're gonna be alright, isn't that right, Doctor. . . Doctor? Please, he's going to make it. . .?" Raine sat perpendicular to where Laguna's bandaged head lay on a sterile pillow. The Doctor stood working on the thick, bloody bandage surrounding Laguna's torso, cutting it open and checking again on the wounds, taking needle and thread, stitching the skin together carefully, silently working his trade with a grim set face. Laguna was in a bad way, the Estharan Soldiers came in too fast and too many for even him and Kiros to handle. He had been mauled; left almost unrecognisable until the bodies of men and monsters were swept away to reveal Laguna holding his gut closed as he struggled to save the women he loved. Ellone's screaming was the last thing he could hear before a terrible quiver broke the natural barriers of this world, a sickening rip of the leathery boundaries creaking through the air, penetrating every soul as a great Guardian Force descended: Griever had come to protect his charge. The winged lion hung suspended from the air like a corpse, growling his mighty head as he swept his clawed pawish hand up and sideways, like a mutated cross, striking down all who dared attempt harm on his mistress Raine. She had pleaded with Griever to do something, to save Ellone, to ressurect the fallen and fight, but it was not his place to listen. The gargantuan lion sunk his crowned head closer to Raine, grumbling out in his penetratingly massive voice,  
  
"It is not for me to decide what futures may be" before reclining his form, lashing his tail, liquifying the rest of the monsters, and giving a great roaring cry as he folded his arms to his chest and pounced up into the air, fading back into the rift he entered. The last the GF heard as he rose was the grief-stricken scream of Raine as she fell amidst the debris and grabbed her injured husband to her. Laguna gave one last gasp, and let his head fall into Raine.  
  
Beyond the world, Griever watched his charge, and grieved as he had always done.   
  
Coming into the Bar turned emergency room, Kiros wilted, the strain of running after Ellone's captors, and the wounds he had suffered taking their toll after the adrenaline flooded out of his system. Seeing his friend and ally in a bad way, he struggled to unclench his hands, drop the blades he fought with as he limped over to Laguna's side, breaking Raine's fragile spirit with the news of emptiness: Ellone was gone. His grip easing, the twin blades clanged to the hardwood floor with the tang of metal, reverberating with tongues of barren sound. Leaning close to Laguna, he put a palm on Laguna's bandaged wounds, muttering a prayer under his breath, that the magic he held would not be too late, as the particles of light and aura of healing foamed around and into Laguna's body, Laguna twitched, gasping up a breath as one who rose out of water, ripping the bandages off as he attempted to stand before crashing back down as Kiros' weary body fell into his arms. Working quickly, Laguna switched places with the ebony warrior, thrusting his hands out, using the last of his own magic to heal the saviour of the moment. The curative magic pulsed through and around Kiros' body like a weakened flame, easing his infirmity yet not strong enough to heal fully. Catching his ragged breath, Laguna felt a hand on his shoulder, the Doctor leading him into the arms of his wife as the Doctor turned to once again ply his trade.  
  
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"NO!!"   
  
Laguna woke abruptly in a cold sweat, he couldn't remember dazing off, one second he was signing an amendmen... Ellone? Could Ellone had done that? No, she wouldn't willingly send me back into the worst moment. Never, Ellone always sent Laguna back to the happiest times, the wonderful times filled with joy and love, not the most horrible moment. Plus, that wasn't like Ellone using her powers, it was more gutteral, instinctive, like a watcher beyond sinking its teeth into Laguna's soul, willing him to find a clue into what to do next. He could hear a knock at the door, as Rinoa poked her head through,  
  
"Hope I'm not bothering you, I can come back"  
  
"Huh? No, come in, please. Have a seat, what can I do for you?"  
  
"This morning: Squall's really shaken up. Of course he would never show it, but he doesn't have to, Sorceress, remember? I see things."  
  
"What about this morning? Squall's not thinking of leaving is he?"  
  
"Not until we get answers"  
  
"Then you're going to need a bigger room and more clothes"  
  
"Laguna, Sir, he's your son! Whatever is hurting you he needs to kn..."  
  
"He can't save everyone! What happened in the past is over. Through. If he wanted to learn about his past, he should ask Ellone. I have work to do"  
  
"You've been staring at that same piece of paper since we got here"  
  
"Keeping tabs?"  
  
"Again with the me being a Sorceress"  
  
"My sister-in-law was a sorceress, Edea. It always amazed me what she could do, how she could fix problems that would come up. She wasn't fast enough, from what I've been told, she wasn't there in time to help Raine with the delivery. If I had known..."  
  
"You would have abandoned Ellone to a cruel and awful Sorceress, who would have thrown the world into Time Compression and there would be no use for what-ifing 'cause everyone would be dead"  
  
"You make it sound like Raine's life was just to buy the world some time"  
  
"Squall needed to meet the other Orphanage children, Hyne knows..."  
  
"Don't start spouting that Hyne garbage, Rinoa! I would think by now anyone who'd lived a life like mine would be pretty disenchanted with a creator who causes pain as a past-time!"  
  
"Listen to yourself! Throwing Laguna Loire a pity party! Congratulations for reaching an all time low, Mr. President! Your flesh and blood is moping on the veranda thinking about the future again! As if you're the only one in pain! HE NEVER KNEW HIS MOTHER, YOU DID!! So far all he has left of any sort of family is a woman who was a pre-schooler at the time and an absentee father! If you wanted to gloat about your sacrifice, good job! You certainly deserve a medal. Have you ever thought that Hyne might only put suffering in people's lives because she knew they could handle it? That even though some people do have to suffer more than others, it's worth it? That things inevitably will work out in the end? Maybe Raine had to die, and it sucks, it hurts, maybe my mother had to die, too. Did you ever find out what happened to Julia? She was killed in a car crash. That much is known, but what people havn't figured out, is that I was there, Laguna! I was a five year old who got to watch her mother bleed to death one foot in front of her! At least that's worth something. I've learned that if I didn't have someone higher to lean upon, life isn't worth it, I can't live with the incredible loss and hurt, but that hurt always makes me stronger. Makes me better. It has to, otherwise, all the pain would do is cause me to crumble, 'cause I can't do it on my own. I was lucky, I realized that early on, but there's a man out there who has just gotten to care, to trust anyone again, and it was hard for him to come here, do you think it was easy? Oh, let's just see Laguna today! He struggled, and he even shed a tear thinking of asking you these things. He was in your head, Laguna, he saw how much you loved Raine, how you fell for her, but he isn't in your head right now, he can't feel you unless you go out there. Please, go to your son and for once trust that somehow everything will be okay."  
  
Laguna sat there soaking in Rinoa's words, calmly put down the pen he had been holding, stood up, a few tears building in his eyes and went up to where Rinoa stood like a buffer to the storm,  
  
"I can't promise anything, but I'll give it what I've got"   
  
Deflating a little, Rinoa smiled as Laguna encompassed her in a hug. After whispering assurances in his ear, Rinoa let go, watching from the doorway as Laguna Loire went to tell his son... what? He didn't know.  
  
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"What''s it like out there? In the world?"  
  
"There's a lot of greed, war, pepper in some pestilence and plague, mix it all together and add smog"  
  
"No, tell me good things"  
  
"Good things?"  
  
"There has to be some, there's good in everything"  
  
"Even monsters?"  
  
"Yes, even monsters"  
  
"What could be good about monsters?"  
  
"They give you a job"  
  
"Touche"  
  
"So?"  
  
"So what?"  
  
"What's the world like? Good things only"  
  
Laguna sat lazily on the couch, Raine snuggled in his arms with her back to his chest, caressing his neck blindly with one hand while the other rested on top of where Laguna's perched on her stomach. He thought about her question as the rain poured down and their clothing sat drying by the fire, also where Ellone layed drawing circles with crayons in her colouring book.  
  
"There's music."  
  
"Music?"  
  
"The world is full of music. It rolls off your tongue or fingers so easily, it makes you dance, sing, or just sit there listening. Music helps me feel."  
  
"Feel what?"  
  
"Depends on the music"  
  
"I like music"  
  
"I can't imagine a world without it"  
  
The couple sat in silence, listening to the windchimes outside the window tinkling hollowly in the rain, the sound the rain made on the window pane, a sort of staccatto rhythm offset by the sporratic crackle of the fire and the smooth swerving of Ellone's crayons on the thick, wrinkled paper. Laguna closed his eyes and smiled as he heard Raine sigh, snuggling deeper into her lover. Sometimes the most perfect music was unintentional.  
  
"Raine?"  
  
"Shhh" Raine said, turning to face her 'warrior man', putting a finger to his lips,  
  
"Let's just hear the music" so Laguna smiled, kissed her fingertips and cuddled closer. The symphony lasted for hours.  
  
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Esthar's sky grew pregnant with rain, trickling then bursting in one of the few rainstorms Esthar's desert weather allowed per year. Squall liked the rain, he had always thought that he could find some sort of affinity with storms, he was named for one, after all. He sat on the veranda drenched through with his arms holding his knees, why did he even bother? It's not like Laguna actually cares, if he did care, he would have told the truth years ago, wouldn't he? Whatever. Squall thought he'd have a right to know what happened in the past, not like he was interested, but Rinoa thought it was fun. Some fun. All he got was a moron who shouted when someone'd get too close to somethinng. Squall liked the rain, it covered his tears, no one could tell the great, strong, powerful Commander Leonheart was crying. Didn't he have a right to cry? Wasn't he still only turning 19? All the fighting is over, can't he just be better for a while? Why did he always have to play the hero? Couldn't he finally enjoy life for a while?  
  
"Your birthday's in a week."  
  
"You learned to count"  
  
Laguna sighed, he had already admitted he was wrong, but great, Squall's at the loner thing again. Guess you couldn't blame him Laguna laguna thought, stepping out into the downpour and sitting beside his son.  
  
"Wet out here" Squall said, not even looking up.  
  
"Is that what water is?" Laguna looked over hoping to get a smirk, but all he got was the image of his son with his hands on his knees shivering.  
  
"I don't know what to do, so you're going to have to help me out here"  
  
"Whatever"  
  
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm new at this. Yeah, I've had my moments, but none were that great"  
  
"Noticed."  
  
"Will it help if I appologize for getting snippy?"  
  
Squall gave Laguna a surrepticious glance, before looking down again.  
  
"Your clothes are getting wet"  
  
"I've got more. Plus, you're not exactly water-proof"  
  
"It'd help"  
  
"Waterproofing?"  
  
"Appology"  
  
"Oh. 'kay" Laguna took a deep breath, "I'm sorry for getting snippy, you deserve more than that. Absolute truth, for one"  
  
"I'll take a raincheck"  
  
"This isn't rainy enough?"  
  
"Does it get better?"  
  
"Estharan Rainstorms don't last very long"  
  
"The pain. Does it get easier?"  
  
"Only when you've got people with you"  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Okay what? I take it we should work on our communication skills. etch-n-sketch perhaps?"  
  
"I can deal with that."  
  
"Etch-n-sketch?" Laguna asked, eliciting a quick smirk on Squall's soaked face.   
  
"I spent so much time alone, it's hard to think I need people, but I can deal with that. Can we just be a family now?" Laguna looked into Squall's turned face to see free tears falling in patterns with the rain, he smiled, a few tears of his own edging their way to his vision. He blinked them off, leaned over and put a waterlogged arm around Squall's shoulder. For once, he didn't shrug away. Later, the clouds lightened and Laguna noticed a familiar shiver radiate through his son. Standing and offering his son a hand, he raised Squall up,  
  
"C'mon, let's get you cleaned up. Rinoa'd worry sick if she saw you soaked through"  
  
"I.. don't have anymore clothes"  
  
"You can borrow some of mine until yours get dried. Don't worry, I won't slap my khakis on you, I think the coast is clear, you can go in and out without Rinoa seeing you."  
  
"Dad?"  
  
"Uhhuh?"  
  
"Thanks. . . tell anybody and I'll kill you" Squall said, giving his father one more smirk before he took the offered pajama pants and white teeshirt from his father, then dripped his way along the hall to the guest suite. That was easier than Laguna had thought. 


	6. Homecomings

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ANNOUNCEMENT: ALERT! A little hotter in the fluff this chapter, the sections between ***** can be skipped, although they're not graphic, or too intense, but they push the rating slightly in the honeymooning department.  
  
Seth8 - thank you. I tried to get the feeling of something ancient, powerful, and helpless wrapped into one. I think I succeeded. Oh the twin... remember: strongest choices = better story.  
  
Verdanii - why thank you.  
  
vig oui - Concerning Edea: Strongest Emotional Involvement. it's a dramatist's trick to make the conflict of the story/ sceen gel more and be more intense and ultimately interesting. I have a bit more about Edea in Nobus [my other multi-chap. FF8 story] Laguna's solely in chapter 10 and up, if you feel like checking it out.  
  
Twin Lance - Laguna needed a jolt, Rinoa needed some action to make her more of a character, and Squall needed a chance to reach out. Oh, wait you will. .. mwahahaaa  
  
Crescent Pearl - I love flashbacks... I have a feeling you'll like this one a little.   
  
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Kiros could hear moaning emanating from the other side of the door. Deciding not to attempt entry, and ultimately avoid injury later on, he crept back down the stairs to where Ellone stood giggling to herself.  
  
"Can we go up Kiwos?"  
  
"Nope. They're a little busy"  
  
"Wike Wast time?"  
  
"Undoubtably"  
  
"Owkies! Let's go pway!" Ellone answered, jumping up and down. When did Kiros the mighty warrior become a babysitter? Kiros thought, entertaining the thought that taking Ellone out of the picture for a few hours was well worth seeing Laguna's satisfied expression and dedication to his work. Plus, it wasn't like Kiros had anything else to do.  
  
**********************  
  
Raine purred as Laguna kissed her neck from behind, as he laced his arms around her waist, his outstretched hands encompassing most of her torso, sending flames down through the muscles and sparks of amazing pleasure along her skin, and they hadn't even gotten started. Turning around, Raine let her arms snake up as Laguna raised the yellow sweater off her body and onto the floor with a flump. He had already lost his shirt, and Raine took precious moments massaging his chest and shoulders, kissing and nipping gently at the delecate skin of his neck and pecs. His skin tasted slightly salty, he smelled of a nutty musk, it made her head swim as her knees went from under her and his strong, muscled arms laced more tightly around her, he picked her up, as her legs dangled and she moved them to cradle around his waist, as he brought her to the bed. They had been married for less than a month, and every second they could get they took to exploring each other in an erotic purity only husband and wife could attain. Life was filled with the moment as the newlyweds kissed and nibbled, feeling every inch of each other with greedy, pleasant fingers and lips that never quit.   
  
Spent, Laguna cradled Raine's lithe, slim frame, his arm tracing circles around her lower back as the other held her hand on his chest. It had been bliss, Raine kissed Laguna's shoulder between his collarbone and pecs, looking up with satiated smoky eyes as their feet slowly played together. Raine had swung a thin sheet over them in a moment of foresight: if Ellone were to burst in again, at least they'd be covered. The sheet felt like frigid water to their inner heat, as Laguna's head was still swimming as he moaned softly, nipping breifly at Raine's upturned ear.   
  
"Mmm. How you doing, Gun Man?" Raine whispered, smiling to herself at her ability to recover faster than her husband, then again, it was Laguna.   
  
"Good" he sighed, clearly not back on earth yet.  
  
"We left Ellone with Kiros"  
  
"He can handle a four year old"  
  
"Can't lay in bed all day" Raine purred, kissing Laguna's jawline as she slid to his side, slowly rising as his kisses followed her upward motion.  
  
"Onemoreminit" Laguna breathed, tracing his arm along Raine's spine as his mouth followed hers.  
  
"Oh look, you're already up. Too late" Raine said, as Laguna looked back to see himself sitting up. He groaned,   
  
"Not fair". Raine cupped Laguna's face in her hands, kissing his lips briefly, chastely as she whispered,  
  
"I'll make it up later, love"  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"Yup. Now, let's go save Ellone from another one of Kiros' drinking stories"  
  
**************************  
  
Dressed and energized, Laguna danced down the stairs to where Ellone sat on a table top with Kiros standing beside her,   
  
"Uncle Lagunaa!! You 'n Raine finished yet?"  
  
Suddenly blushing, Laguna's leg cramped as he tripped down the remaining two stairs, flailing and catching himself against the railing.  
  
"Was it that obvious?" Laguna blurted, his face turning a shiny bright shade of lobster as he tried to get his leg to de-cramp,  
  
"No, I caught Ellie from going in, though" Kiros said, catching Ellone as she jumped off the table into his arms, swinging her around before placing her feet on the floor.  
  
"Yaaaaaay! Can we do that 'gain, Kiwos?"  
  
"Again? You've done it 12 times already!" Kiros said, giving an exasporated sigh as Ellone proceeded to climb onto the table via some chairs.  
  
"Um, Kiros?" Laguna said, clearing his throat,  
  
"You DO realise she can't count?" Raine finished Laguna's intended sentence as she hopped down the stairs and flung her arms around Laguna's waist.  
  
"When I was her age I spoke three languages"  
  
"We'll have to work on that tommorrow, Kiros. Thanks for entertaining her, by the way" Raine laughed, as Ellone jumped off the table to Laguna, who caught her and threw her in the air, catching her and swinging her around before putting her giggling form back on land. Walking behind the bar, Raine leaned Kiros over and offered him a drink, to which he accepted gladly, downing the tumbler of alcoholic liquid in 3 seconds flat and pleading for another. Raine laughed, refilled Kiros' glass, kissed her fingers and touched his cheek.  
  
"Thanks, Kiros. No wonder Laguna's still in one piece. Can you watch the bar for me, while I take these two kids out to the fields to pick some flowers?"  
  
"Sure thing, Raine. Y'know, Laguna's lucky to have you"  
  
"Don't I know it."  
  
"Kid? You call me a kid? ... That's not what you said earlier" Laguna piped in, drawling his voice into a lower saucy one,  
  
"LAGUNA!" Raine startled, blushing as she threw the washcloth she was wiping the bar with at him.  
  
"Come on, Ellie, let's us 'kids' go out and play with the chocobos"  
  
"Yaaaayy!!!"  
  
---------------------------------------------  
  
Squall sat slumped on a dining room chair with his elbows on the fine wood table, slurping his soup as Rinoa came behind and put her fingers through his wet hair.  
  
"Someone was out in the rain again"  
  
"Took a shower"  
  
"These aren't your clothes?"  
  
"Borrowed them from Laguna, mine got dirty"  
  
"Ahh so how is Laguna?"  
  
"Fine. You talked to him, didn't you?" Squall said, leaving his soup as Rinoa sat on his lap, he put his arms around her waist.  
  
"I might have had a casual conversation"  
  
"Rinoa... what'd you do?"  
  
"Nothing! I'm shocked that you would even concider I did anything to sway your father's opinion"  
  
Rinoa acted out a melodramatic gesture of fainting and let her back go limp, Squall caught her and brought her back up rather abruptly.  
  
"I'm not falling for that one! What'd you do?"  
  
"I didn't DO anything. I might have had a little talk with Laguna, but I didn't DO anything" Rinoa answered, swinging her arms around Squall's neck,   
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Hah! I win!" Rinoa shouted, pointing a finger on Squall's nose.  
  
"Win what?"  
  
"The bet"  
  
"Which bet?"  
  
"The I-bet-Squall'll-say-whatever-over-30-times-a-day bet. Zell and Selphie owe me money"  
  
"You bet on me?"  
  
"Yeah, you want some of the profits?"  
  
"... how much?"  
  
"Oh, 3000 gil"  
  
"3000 GIL!? Hand it over!"  
  
"Hehe. Maybe I should bet on you more often, eh? And no, I'm not going to hand it over, the money happens to be going towards your birthday present"  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"Yeah, really really."  
  
"3000 gil"  
  
"Yes, as a matter of fact"  
  
"You're spending 3000 gil on my birthday present"  
  
"You betcha, Mister"  
  
"How am I going to top that? What am I supposed to do for your birthday?"  
  
"Be creative" Rinoa said, tracing lines and circles on Squall's t-shirt, before someone clearing their throat was heard. Squall got up with a start, dropping Rinoa, who managed to catch herself before falling completely on the floor. Kiros and Ward walked through the doorway, and put down their bags,  
  
"We leave for one week, and everything changes... Next time, one of us stays, got it?" Ward nodded, smirking to himself as Laguna trotted in behind his friends,  
  
"Kiros! Ward! You're back! Guess what? Squall came to see me, and he's still here!" Laguna said, jumping into the air and dancing around, swinging his arms wildly up and down.  
  
"Uh, Laguna? He's right in front of us. Congrats"  
  
Laguna gave Kiros a friendly hug, before Ward picked him up and hugged him like a ragdoll, letting him drop the foot or so to the ground. Rubbing his forearm, Laguna stepped into the room,  
  
"Hey, did Cook get you all some lunch? Rinoa? Kiros? Ward?"  
  
"Umm, no Sir, not yet"  
  
"Well that won't do. Here, I'll go get some"  
  
Ward caught Laguna's collar as he bounded out the door, halting him as Kiros asked,  
  
"Have you been drinking again?"  
  
"No.. okay just a little, but that's not important, it's my son's birthday in a week, and he's here on a visit. Isn't that worthy of a good time?"  
  
"Right... uh, why ARE you here, Squall? Not that it isn't great to see you or anything"  
  
"Squall and I wanted to find out about Griever and his twin" Rinoa blurted out, before Squall had the chance to tackle her and cover her mouth. Ward flinched, as Kiros slapped his hand on his forehead over his eyes, muttering,  
  
"Whatever happened to Top Secret?"  
  
Laguna slumped, sighing as he eyed his two friends,  
  
"Yeah, so I ... kinda... he knows"  
  
"How much?" Kiros asked, as Squall and Rinoa looked on confused at the exchange. Squall was still holding onto Rinoa from behind, his hand over her mouth every time she was about to interject, and they would frequently look at each other then back onto the sceen, Squall started to smirk as Rinoa kissed the hand over her mouth, then made a disgusted noise as she looked at him mischieviously and licked his hand with her tongue. He let go.  
  
"Griever mostly, but we were hoping someone would I dunno, tell us everything?"  
  
Ward gave a snort, then tried to recompose himself when Kiros thrust his elbow into the mammoth man's side.  
  
"What's so hard about it? I mean, the death certificate said..." Rinoa stammered,   
  
"She's not dead." Laguna blurted out, Kiros once again slamming his hand on his forehead, then going a step further and massaging his temples. This was going to be a long day he thought, getting ready to sigh and tell another two people of the most secretive existence largely unknown to the entire world. 


	7. The Bells Toll for Time

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ANNOUNCEMENT: The questions concerning the twin will be answered, we've got some delicious Laguna/Raine, the return of Griever, and other lovelies. Sorry for the wait, it is finals week at university and I've been slacking off. aka: Three whopping papers to get done by monday. Oh joys!   
  
Crescent Pearl: pretty much, yeah. I like the flashbacks.  
  
vilg oui: Yes, to almost everything? The twin has a name, thanks to your suggestion I have decided: Ciel. The twin's name is Ciel.  
  
Lovely Princess Pearl: 30 gil? not much. 3000 gil? Almost enough to buy a car. I tried to get the impression that Squall is still only turning 18. Sometimes with the FF series I think we forget how young the characters actually are.  
  
Verdanii: yay! I'm a Chickie!  
  
Seth8: Okay, I am finishing up the other story [complete with someone's fanart of my fiction], The twin [Ciel] is going to be explained this chapter, and Nobus is just finishing up. one chapter and an epilogue to go. All will be explained as it is revealed to myself.  
  
Twin-Lance: I think everyone is wishing they knew what was going on. It makes for some interesting reviews, though. I'm updating later than usual, but exams and all can kiss my fiction.  
  
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"Laguna! Where have you been? I was worried, I thought a monster might have... why are you looking at me like that? What's wrong?"  
  
"I picked up the mail on the way home"   
  
"Oh? What did it say?"  
  
"Here" Laguna said, passing a letter to his wife as he kissed her on the cheek, and walked passed her to sit at the bar holding his head in his hands. Raine looked at her husband quizzically before scanning the envelope then hurredly retrieved the letter,  
  
"Dear Laguna Loire, Here at Timber Maniacs we are looking for unique, talented, and free minded individuals to work for our magazine. After reviewing your application letter and attached article and resume, we have decided to offer you full pay... Laguna, that's great!" Raine said, looking back to her husband.  
  
"Keep reading" Laguna mumbled, tossing his hand at the letter.  
  
"... as a roaming columnist in our Travel section. ... Help me here, I don't understand why this is a problem, it's the job you wanted"  
  
"It means I'll have to leave Winhill! That 'roaming columnist' means that I have to actually go to the places I write about. It means that I'll be spending minimum 40 weeks per year on the road."  
  
Laguna's hand went back to the place it rested on his face, as Raine scanned the letter before putting it on the nearest table with the rest of the mail, walking to sit beside her husband and crossing her arms, with her elbows on the table. After several moments of silence, and Laguna massaging his face with his hands,   
  
"We always did want to travel"  
  
"40 weeks a year?! It wouldn't be fair to move Ellone around like that. Plus, you have the Bar"  
  
"You've thought about this a lot"  
  
"Yeah"  
  
"It's the job you wanted. You always wanted to be a journalist"  
  
"I know."  
  
"Edea has set up an orphanage in Centra, maybe..."  
  
"We can't send Ellone to Edea, she... wouldn't understand"  
  
"She'd be with other kids, there aren't many kids in Winhill. Then..."  
  
"Even if we did that... not only would Ellone hate us, but what about the Bar"  
  
"I could hire someone to run it"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Kiros"  
  
"I'm sure the citizens of Winhill would love that"  
  
"At least I'm trying to work this out, you're just sitting there" Raine said, reaching for Laguna's nearest hand and pulling it away from his face to kiss it.  
  
"I've thought of everything, there's nothing I can do"  
  
"What about writing articles about where you've been?"  
  
"They want current articles, not stuff that's five years old. I've just got to tell them I can't take the job"  
  
"Laguna, this is what you want. You can't give that up, it's your dream"  
  
"You're my dream now. You, Elle, you're all I need"  
  
"That's sweet, but I know staying cooped up in this small town is going to drive you further insane"  
  
"Further?"  
  
"You wouldn't have married me if you weren't."  
  
"That so"  
  
"Yep"  
  
"Wanna bet?"  
  
"I'm sure Kiros would side with me"  
  
Laguna had turned to face his wife, a slight smirk stretching onto his face, Raine beamed as the couple held hands, and the sound of swing music came crackling through on an old radio the man next door had ressurected. Holding out his hand, Laguna stood,   
  
"May I have this dance?"  
  
"I think my husband might get jealous" Raine laughed, as they started to dance,  
  
"That so? You'll just have to make it up to him later. I'm sure he'll thank me"  
  
"But will I?" Raine said, smirking as Laguna got tongue tied, before dipping Raine down as she yelped, and kissing her as he swung her back up.  
  
"Hey! No fair!" Raine laughed again, playfully slapping Laguna's cheek as he lifted her onto the bar. She cradled her legs around his waist, bringing him closer to her, dragging her fingers through his hair, tickling his ears as he laced his arms around her waist, feeling the skin underneath her sweater.   
  
"What about Timber Maniacs?"  
  
"They can kiss my a..."  
  
"Raaaine! Unc'l Laguuunaaa!! Wew baaack!" Ellone blurted, bouncing through the door, Kiros in tow. Ellone bounded up to Laguna, who had flung his arms away from Raine as she flipped herself over the bar to a less precarious position.  
  
"Elle!" Laguna shouted, catching the little girl as she jumped into his arms, "What did you do today?"  
  
While Laguna and Ellone had a 'conversation', Kiros went straight to the bar and ordered two whiskeys straight up, as Raine poured the whiskey, patting Kiros' head before walking up to Laguna and Ellone.  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
"Ciel. Her name's Ciel" Laguna said, sipping his cup of coffee. The small group had relocated to the sitting room, Laguna and Ward sharing a couch, while Squall and Rinoa sat in the love seat and Kiros perched himself on the coffee table.  
  
"Where is she, can I meet her?" Squall asked, hearing his sister's name for the first time.  
  
"That's impossible" Kiros stated, stirring more honey into his tea.  
  
"How so?" Rinoa asked, leaning forward and rubbing Squall's knee lazily with her fingertips.  
  
"We... don't know where she is." Laguna said, hoping the floor would yet again try to swallow him up.  
  
"You lost my sister?"  
  
"He's never seen her" Kiros clarified, putting his tea down.  
  
"Remember what I told you about Griever?" Laguna asked, rubbing his temple  
  
"That he's some sort of guardian of the family line?"  
  
"Right. Now listen, remember what I told you about Brothers, and the king they protected? Well, when Raine was giving birth, you were born first. After you were born, there were complications, and no doctor to watch over the delivery, Griever knew this, he is always watching Raine's family, and from what I've been told, which isn't much, something happened where Griever appeared and saved Ciel's life at the cost of Raine's."  
  
"Then why wasn't Ciel brought to you with me and Ellone?"  
  
"Because Griever took Ciel."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't know, all I know is that she is alive, and under Griever's constant guard."  
  
The room fell silent, as the young couple digested the divulged information, before Rinoa spoke,  
  
"The only way Griever has to make certain what happened to the Brothers doesn't happen to him is if he keeps a member of Raine's line alive, the only sure way of doing that is keeping one member close at all times."  
  
"Are you saying my daughter is insurance?"  
  
"To continue the family line."  
  
"How do you know this, Rinoa?" Kiros asked, leaning in farther towards the raven haired beauty.  
  
"Squall is my Knight. I am his Sorceress, it is my knight's solemn duty to protect me no matter the cost, the way Squall tends to do that is to never leave my side, but when he can't stay within sight of me, he makes sure I'm overly protected, in Garden for example. It goes to figure that Griever is the same way. Nothing matters more than protecting what he loves."  
  
"Okay, I see how you would figure that, so in this case, Griever took Ciel to be with him instead of constantly following her. Why leave the world? Why not just be here all the time?" Laguna asked, causing Squall to enter into the conversation,  
  
"Because I'd rather be in the one place I know like the back of my hand, the one place where I am the strongest, than risk situations on which I know little to none about. What do we do now?"  
  
"Nothing."   
  
"Nothing? Dad, you can't ..."  
  
"Do you think we've just now figured this out? I've had to bury my wife, I don't need things blowing up in my face again. You want to do something about it, you're the SeeD. I'm not." Laguna rose, and strode out of the room, knocking over the incoming maid and tea set and spending the next minute helping her up, appologizing and giving her a raise before walking off. The rest of the rooms occupants stayed silent, until Kiros and Ward looked at each other,  
  
"Raine's Grave?" Kiros asked, getting a nod from Ward as the two friends of Laguna rose and began a brisk walk towards a seemingly unknown destination. Squall rose and ran to them, striding fast to keep up as he asked,  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"Laguna's going to Raine's Grave again. He's done it before"  
  
"How's he going to get there?"  
  
"Ragnarok, where we're going" Kiros finished, rounding a corner and bounding at a run to where Laguna was boarding the massive dragon-like ship. Kiros, Ward and Squall made their way up the gangplank before Laguna could turn and Kiros ran to the control room, sitting in the pilot's chair as Laguna looked on.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Laguna asked, seeing the three men walking into his temper tantrum.  
  
"We always stick together, Laguna, now's not the time we'd leave you by yourself"  
  
The group lifted off before Squall looked back and asked panicked,  
  
"Where's Rinoa!?"  
  
--------------------------------------  
  
Rinoa sat in the sitting room watching the others leave. She had an intuition that something was going to happen that she needed to stay away from, being a sorceress had its advantages. Leaning back and clutching the Griever ring Zell had made for her, a soft melody began peppering the air, as a soft twinkling found its way foggily through the air, like the silken pressing of piano keys in succession. A light fragrance of flowers emanated through the musical air as Rinoa looked up to notice a young woman veiled in myst playing the overly grandious piano beside her.  
  
"Hello Ciel"  
  
The smoky brown haired woman kept silent, eyes closed as she continued the melody, as the myst lifted and she opened her eyes to reveal aqua orbs full of youth, wisdom and something Rinoa could not figure out.   
  
"Griever sent me to tell you my time is ending. Say hello to my father and brother, I will return"  
  
As quickly as the young woman appeared, Rinoa felt a familiar dizziness coat her body as she draped herself through the myst and woke to see herself standing in a field of flowers, the whirring of a great ship screeching in the distance.   
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
"Laguna" Raine laughed, watching Laguna's head pop up from under the bar, Ellone sat on a table clapping, as Laguna brought his sock puppet level with his face, as both his head and hands took a bow to Raine and Ellone's laughing and clapping.   
  
"Next time of Loire Puppet Theatre... Ellone takes a bath!" Laguna laughs, running around the counter to the small girl,  
  
"Awww I knew thewe was a catch!" Ellone whined, snapping her fingers as she tried to run off the table right into Raine.  
  
"Raainee do I hafta!?" Ellone whined again,  
  
"You know I want you to talk normally now, Ellone. And yes, what Laguna says is law"  
  
"Whoohoo! More se..."  
  
"LAGUNA!" Raine snapped, getting slightly red as she passed the writhing girl to her 'uncle'. Laguna grinned, blew Raine a kiss and began walking up the stairs to the washroom, and Ellone's already laid out bath. Once the two were gone, Raine panted, doubling over slightly as the room began to spin, toppling over into something warm and muscular as the room spun in blurry circles.  
  
"Woa, Raine woa. Are you okay?" Kiros' voice came from somewhere behind... or was it to the side of Raine's swimming consciousness. She couldn't answer as she felt Kiros place his firm hands on her upper arms, holding her up as her knees gave way, as he caught her and raised her up to sit on the Bar.  
  
"What's going on?" Kiros asked concerned, this wasn't like Raine. She never got dizzy, even when she was drunk. Kiros lifted stray strands of hair from Raine's pale face as Laguna came bounding down the stairs.  
  
"The munchkin's in her royal bath. You can tha... hey, what is this!?"  
  
"Raine's passing out." Kiros told Laguna as he bounded the eight feet to his wife. Raine could only register Laguna's scent as she fell into him, allowing her arms to flop around his neck as he grabbed her to keep her from falling, holding her tight as he looked at Kiros with enough worry and fear to coat an entire army's face during a hopeless situation.  
  
"Raine? Raine, can you hear me?... Kiros, run. Get a doctor!" Kiros went off like a shot, leaping over a fallen chair as he left Raine's Bar. Laguna struggled for a better grip as he tumbled to the side, managing to get to the stairs and sit, Raine cradled in his grip. She was pale, more than usual, her body shook lightly as she shut her eyes tight, gripping Laguna's jacket fabric with her hands, trying to hold onto something. Laguna caressed the hair out of her face, chucking off the yellow headband she wore, kissing the top of her forehead as one of each of their hands found the other, as Raine clung to Laguna with all the strength in her body, as she panted,  
  
"Sorry"  
  
"S'okay. How do you feel?"  
  
"Room's spinnin'. . . feel like I'm spinnin' with it"  
  
"Okay, okay... what do I do, Raine? Tell me what to do" Laguna asked, tears in his eyes as Raine shut her eyes again and burried her face deeper into his chest. A muffled version of her voice floated to Laguna's ears,  
  
"Don't let go"  
  
"I won't." Laguna answered, sliding his arms more firmly around her, kissing her forehead.  
  
"Promise?" Raine stuttered out, leaning into his kiss on her forehead.  
  
"Understatement, babe"  
  
Raine took precious moments shifting, moving her arms at a crawl up around Laguna's neck, lifting her body up to straddle him with his help, clinging to him, finally touching her forehead to his, panting at the strain as the room settled a little, as she brought her legs behind him and locked them behind his waist, Laguna held her back, rubbing it up and down smoothly, fluidly, slowly. Kiros came in with the doctor, threw a couple tables together as Laguna stood holding Raine's back and buttox in an effort to keep her up, especially as she still held the deth grip on his waist with her legs.  
  
"Kiros, can you go get a pillow please?" Laguna asked, not wanting his voice to betray the absolute agony he was currently feeling. Again Kiros ran, bounding up and down the stairs as he lunged at a pillow and brought it down for Raine to rest her head on the cold wooden table top. Mrs. Jordan came into the Bar, worredly looking at Raine before presenting herself to Laguna,  
  
"How is she?"  
  
"We don't know."  
  
"Where is Ellone?"  
  
"Oh sh*t.. she's in her bath, we just put her in maybe I should..."  
  
"You will do no such thing, Mr. Loire. You are going to stay at Raine's side this entire time, I will take Ellone. If you think I am going to leave darling little Ellone in the hands of two crude outsider man, you are more than sorely mistaken." the middle-aged woman spoke the words slower, taking her coat off and hanging it on the rack as she walked upstairs to where Ellone still splashed in the water. Laguna thought he could hear her mumbling,  
  
"Always knew that man was trouble. He's gonna be the death of her, I know it"  
  
Oh sweet irony, how she plays the bells of time. 


	8. Tempting Heaven

==============================================================  
  
ANNOUNCEMENT: Sorry for the incredibly long wait! I didn't mean for this to take so long. I do have an excuse though, I was moving my uncle and his family. Yep. They know nothing about packing or moving or anything. So here's another chapter!  
  
Karaoke Risa: here's the update!  
  
Verdanii: thanks! :D  
  
Charm65: Yeah, I love Laguna and Raine. My FAVE FF8 pairing. Let's see... what mroe CAN happen to Rinoa?  
  
Seth8: yeah, I got a bit sidetracked on the wierdiness. Blame it on constant Buffy rerun watching.   
  
vilg oui: heh I was hoping that would catch some laughs  
  
Lovely Princess Peach: yeah, I don't like her either, but I needed a Winhillian, so there she is! Yeah, 16 is the age for Canadians and Americans. I hate thinking of the characters as older, but I do fall into the maturity trap sometimes. Ciel: Thought I'd keep going with the weather motif  
  
Crescent Pearl: well, this chapter won't get very far on the plot, but it'll develop things more.  
  
Twin-Lance: Thank you. I tried to make Ciel fit with the whole thing and not just sort of pop out of no where [kicks plot-hole out the window]. Squall and panicking? heh. yeah. Now that uni's done for the summer, I can concentrate on finishing the darn things!   
  
==============================================================  
  
Laguna was a wreck. The entire town knew of Raine's sudden illness, many of the town waited with catched breaths to get any update at all. Mrs. Jordan took it upon herself to take Ellone away, Laguna hadn't seen her for a week, Mrs. Jordan took no secret in informing Laguna she despised him, and would never voluntarily leave the little girl in his care. Raine's colour had gotten worse, her dark brown hair offsetting the pale white face in an unsettlingly gothic tint. Her husband had not left the small house since Raine's first incident, and other than going to the washroom, never left her side. Many in the town began to look more pitifully and kinder on Laguna after seeing that he wasn't going to leave Raine, wasn't going to bolt and leave her behind. Timber Maniacs had contacted him again, taking courtesy on him and letting him write articles at Raine's side, about Deling City and the surrounding villages. Raine slipped in and out of a coma, barely doing more than breathing, once in a while waking up enough for Laguna to feed her soup. Truth was, she had lost almost 30 pounds, shifting her body from a well balanced weight to danger zones, the Doctor did not know if she would ever recover her normal weight if she lost many more pounds. Kiros had run the bar, the townspeople flocking there to ensure Raine's livelihood. The Doctor was expensive and the Loire's were running out of money.  
  
Laguna sat in his usual chair, his hair haphazardly tied in a pony tail, his jacket thrown somewhere, a blue and dark blue t-shirt wrinkled on his body with well worn jeans. If times had been better, he would have looked like a rock star. He sat stroking Raine's hair, and the lazy strands that her headband normally kept away from her face, but refused to leave her forehead and cheek. Under his tender touches, she purred like a small, dying kitten. Opening her blue rimmed, sunken eyes, she tried to speak, opening her mouth only a sliver, licking her lips,  
  
"Laguna.."  
  
"Hey there beautiful" the ebony haired man whispered, kissing his fingers and placing them on her lips. She faintly puckered, then tried to speak, but her voice croaked and died in her parched throat.  
  
"Here," Laguna said, raising her head and placing a straw in her mouth. After sucking up some water, she swallowed the liquid painfully, fine lines on her face wrinkling as the slow burn enveloped her now frail body.   
  
"W..where's Ell.."  
  
"Shh, Raine. She's at Mrs. Jordan's. I don't think Mrs. Jordan likes me very much"  
  
Raine smiled an almost obsolete smile, allowing a minute laugh to trail past her vocal chords. Laguna paniced,  
  
"Don't hurt yourself, eh? Do you need anything? Are you hungry? Are you in pain?"  
  
"You look beautiful when you're worried"  
  
It was Laguna's turn to give a pathetic smile, before running his fingers through his hair, remembering halfway through that he had tied it up, leaving it a mess as he yanked his fingers out of the tangles.  
  
"I ..love you Laguna Loire"  
  
"Don't die on me Raine"  
  
"Can see heaven"  
  
"Raine!? Let me be selfish! I need you too much"  
  
"Not everyone's happy in heaven"  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
Raine gulped a painful, enflamed gulp, opening and shutting her eyes as she rolled her head lightly into her husband's waiting hand. He rubbed her cheek comfortably with his thumb as she continued,  
  
"Griever. He knows I'm dying, Laguna"  
  
"You're not DYING! I won't let you!"  
  
"Heh. Neither will he"  
  
"Raine.." Laguna begged, his eyes tearing up as his leg cramped under the chair.  
  
"Shh, Warrior man. He needs me like you do. Maybe more... Naw, you're a big baby. You need me more." Raine coughed up some flegm and blood, to which Laguna raised her higher, to sit in his arms as he eased himself onto the bed to hold her snuggly against his chest. Taking a tissue, he cleaned her mouth, kissing her forehead and getting her to take another drink, he watched her close her eyes as he took her hair in his hands and braided it, tying it to the top of her head so she would be more comfortable.  
  
"Mm, feels ...nice" Raine whispered, nuzzling her head into the crook of Laguna's neck and shoulder.  
  
"Hrmph. You need a shower"  
  
It was Laguna's turn to smile, "I'll take a shower when you're up and moving, deal?"  
  
"Guess I better be quick about it, eh?" Raine kissed Laguna's bicep, snuggling herself deeper into her warrior man. Sensing Raine's tiredness, Laguna raised the bedding more firmly around them, leaning back, then forward to place a pillow vertically along his back and neck to make himself and her more comfortable.   
  
"Would you have married me if you knew I was going to be sick?" Raine's drugged up dream-soaked voice twirled its way past Raine's lips to Laguna and the hidden Mrs. Jordan and Kiros' ears.  
  
"In a milisecond."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I love you. And no matter how long you or I have left, I don't wanna look back and say I didn't try to make us both the happiest people in the world. Plus, I don't think Ellone would let me leave! We all know how that little munchkin woves hew uncw wagunnnaaaa"  
  
Raine chuckled, coughing a bit, but okay,  
  
"I'm tired"  
  
"And I'm not budgin'. Get some sleep, but promise me you won't tempt heaven too much, kay?"  
  
"Promise. Love you"  
  
"Love you more"  
  
"Funny, didn't know it was a contest"  
  
"Maybe Kiros should be the judge" Laguna said, bending lower to kiss Raine's eyes and the tip of her nose after she gave a little snort and rolled more into Laguna. Kiros smiled, motioning a dumb-struck Mrs. Jordan down the stairs and closed the door.  
  
"See? I never lie"  
  
Shaking her greying head, she said,  
  
"I never thought he'd stay"  
  
"Yeah" Kiros said, going back behind the bar to fill someone's order of a gin and tonic. Upstairs, Raine and Laguna slept, as Griever continued watching.  
  
------------------------------  
  
"RINOA!!" Squall bellowed, practically leaping out of the Ragnarok. Rinoa turned to have him yank her in a crushing embrace, before his concerned, worried, overly serious face screwed in a perpetually dismal scoul.  
  
"What in the cold caves of Shiva are you doing here?! Nevermind that, how did you get here!?... Cancel that! What?... How? When? Why we.." the rest of Squall's interrogation got muffled in one of Rinoa's patented tongue twisting conversation ending kisses resulting in Squall's words being mumbled to the side of his mouth and forgotten as Laguna, Kiros and Ward jogged, pranced and boomed up.  
  
"Rinoa? Didn't we leave you in Esthar?" Laguna questioned, doing a 360 look around before scratching the back of his head and looking to and from his son who was currently trying to get back to the same planet.  
  
"I saw Ciel" Rinoa blurted out, holding half of her fiancee up as the other half tried to open his sedated, yet still fuming eyes.  
  
"What happened to SquwwwhAT?!" Squall's father said, pointing at Squall then stammering with absolute shock.  
  
"What did you say, Rinoa?" Kiros asked, taking a double take at father and son stammering like morons, yep, definately a family resemblance before raising a finger to silence the sorceress and backhanding Laguna in the face. Squall snapped out of his reverie with a discreet butt-pinch courtesy of the mischevious Rinoa.  
  
"Whoo. Thanks, Kiros ole' pal. Excuse me, but did you just say you saw my as of yet unseen daughter?"  
  
"Yes. And she sent me here"  
  
"How, why and whatever you're smoking, I want some" Laguna said, eliciting a,  
  
"Dad!" responce from Squall.  
  
"Okay, Rin. What happened?" Squall said, turning Rinoa to face him and placing his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look in his eyes. Placing her hands on his shoulders,   
  
"When you guys ran off, I stayed behind. After you were gone, I heard music, Ciel appeared playing the piano, told me Griever sent her to tell you and Laguna her time was ending then poof! Here I am!"  
  
"Just like that, poof!?" Laguna asked, raising one eyebrow and stroking his chin, after exploding in a over exagerated poofing gesture.  
  
"Well, more of a gradual foggy wake-up-here kind of poof, but the important thing is that she said her time is ending, and that she would return. What did Griever mean by that?"   
  
"Let's go find out" Laguna resolved, raising his hand above his head in victory as the group moved closer to where Raine's grave could be made out as a pinprick in the distance.   
  
----------------------------------------------  
  
"G'mornin, Raine"  
  
"Morning. What're you so chipper about?" Raine answered, shifting on the bed to view her husband sitting beside her, eyes alight.  
  
"Took a walk"  
  
"That all?" Raine yawned, stretching her fingers and arms above her head then flopping them down to be caught by Laguna.  
  
"Well, and a shower, but ... hey! I'm trying to lead to something and you hafta deflate my steam!"  
  
Raine giggled, the dark circles surrounding her eyes crinkling as her pale lips curved in a smile.  
  
"Okay, to start over: Took a walk, and on the way, Mr. Sun said he missed you, and all the little critters, squirrels, butterflies, random pidgeons said they missed you too"  
  
"Why do I get the feeling this is a story from the land of Ellone?"  
  
"Shush" Laguna said, bending down and kissing Raine softly on the lips. Seeing her calmed form, he continued,  
  
"You can cheat death, but still keep enough snark for both of us and Kiros. Again, so since they can't come in here, because one Mrs. Jordan won't let so much as a petal in doors, we're going to go see them"  
  
"Laguna, I love the plan, but I can't walk"  
  
"Why let such a little predicament get you down? You need fresh air, Raine. The breeze'll do you good. It's warm and you're just so pale you might fade into the sheets if you don't get some sun. I'm taking you outside, Raine and that's final"  
  
Raine looked up at her husband's semi-serious face with a grin, lifting herself up on her elbows to have Laguna scramble to bring her up into the security of his arms. Her grin got wider.  
  
"Look at you, my Warrior Man being authoritative. You should do that more often" she said, leaning up and giving him a peck on the lips. Laguna beamed,   
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Uh huh" Raine said over another kiss,  
  
"Maybe I will" Laguna said, kissing her more deeply. Raine purred, then backed away for a moment,  
  
"This is definately worth living for"  
  
"Glad you agree" Laguna said, kissing her forehead, then lifting her whole body up, blankets and all to a small yelp from the recovering woman. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Raine let her head fall onto his shoulder,  
  
"Thanks"  
  
"I could tell you're going crazy in here"  
  
"Yeah. Uhuh. Think so. Yup, oh ya."  
  
Laguna burst out laughing as he walked downt he stairs and jumped the last two to another small yelp from his wife. Sitting her on one of the tables, to the wide eyes of the few customers, Laguna fished something out of his back pocket. Placing a pair of sunglasses in Raine,   
  
"There. Now you're ready"  
  
Cocking her head to the side,   
  
"How do they look Warrior Man?"  
  
"Like gold. Let's go"   
  
No one would ever forget that day, when a laughter that had not been heard for more than a month rocked the hills and bellowed beyond the sky. 


	9. Woke up Dancing

ANNOUNCEMENT: For this chapter I relied heavily on the music of Sigur Ros and Kitaro, check them out, they're pretty cool, in a techno-ish radiohead mixed with coldplay and DJ Extacy kind of way. I think Sigur Ros is Swedish or something. Kitaro? Kind of a mix of techno Enya new agey Tibetan. Sorry for the time it took to update, I was spending time finishing off Nobus, and um... life happened?  
  
Verdanii: thank you, hopefully you won't skin me alive for this one.  
  
Charm65: here's the more... except not so soon... sorry. The first part of this one has lighter elements, the last part not so much... please don't kill me.  
  
vilqoui: Hope this continues the balance  
  
Twin-Lance: Yay! Laguna's liked! I mean, I'm glad I didn't murder his character. Thank goodness research papers are over for the next while, eh?  
  
Arami-Heartilly: well, you don't have to wait much longer, another couple of chapters and I'm finished! whoo!  
  
Lynn-Minmay: Yay! Another fan! I love you guys! I'll be adding more flashbacks next chapter... well this one too but... how about I try and stop covering my bases and just write, eh? Hope you enjoy!

* * *

"Today we wish to welcome, as our Timber Maniacs Brightest Writer Award winner, Mr. Laguna Loire!"  
  
The crowd burst into applause as the light shone down on Laguna and Raine, as Laguna rose from his chair, bringing Raine up with him and kissing her dramatically as the audience laughed and awed while Raine wiped Laguna's lips with a napkin, fixed his tie and pushed him towards the podium, blowing a kiss to her Warrior Man. Finally reaching where the Head Editor of Timber Maniacs stood with his award, Laguna's leg cramped on the last step, keeping balance enough to swing around and shake the Editor's hand while accepting the reward.   
  
"Now, the recipient of this years award will say a few words" the announcer leaned into the microphone to say, before shaking Laguna's hand and stepping aside. Starting to fiddle with his tie, Laguna stopped when Raine yelled out,  
  
"Leave it ALONE, Laguna!" to the mass laughter of the crowd. Smiling a ten million watt smile, Laguna put his hand above his head in victory,   
  
"As you can see, I don't get anything done without my beautiful wife Raine. Heck, I couldn't even climb stairs without her! Whatever I did to deserve her ... and this award is so beyond me Hyne'll have to post it in next week's editorial or I won't catch it. Yeah, I'm supposed to say something like thanks to my pen and I did it with my wealth of knowledge, but anyone who knows me... which come to think of it... isn't many of you, anyways, they know that I'm not a swell actor and I definately am not intelligent so how about I just blow another kiss to my wife Raine, whom I adore, and warn any of you men out there that if you even think of asking her for a dance, I've got my machine gun in the hotel room and guts enough to use it! Honestly, though I didn't think I could accept the honour of writing for Timber Maniacs, but Raine really pushed me to fulfill my dreams and I'm no knight in shining armour, but I hope I can at least help her with hers. So... uhh... okay am I the only one who wants to get on the dance floor already? No? Thanks so much, this'll look great on our coffee table as long as my niece and any future children keeps her chubby toddler fingers off it... what do you say to the mantle, Raine, it's higher! Swell. Kay, I'm getting down now, you all're making me nervous. I love you Raine! WHOO!"  
  
With the last whoo, Laguna jumped off the stage, award in hand, to land in a semblance of grace beside where Raine waited for him. The rest of the auditorium clapped and chuckled as she bent up to kiss Laguna again, to have him hold her one handed, the other holding on to the glass award. The announcer just shook his head,  
  
"Okay, well I guess that narrows down what I had to say, but that was the shortest acceptance speech in our history, let's give the Loire's another hand, and hope that those future children are not far away, which from the looks of things is not far from the truth. As the band takes their place for the opening waltz, how about Mr. and Mrs. Laguna Loire open up with the first dance?"  
  
Another applause went up as Raine blushed, and Laguna blushed more, the award was ferried off to the other side of the table, and the pair were tugged towards the ample dancing floor in the Timber Hotel. Composing themselves slightly, Raine and Laguna took a few breaths as the music began to a familiar waltz, and with Laguna leading the way, Mr. and Mrs. Loire began dancing and stepping to the music. Laguna's face beamed as Raine's eyes shone brighter than her gold yellow dress, just right for the occasion. Much of her colour had returned, and Laguna would not take no for an answer when the editors of Timber Maniacs granted him the honour of the year's brightest Writer award.   
  
As they turned again, Raine tripped, Laguna scooping both hands to her waist, swinging her around in circles to their mutual laughter, while other dancers came onto the floor, twirling and stepping to the Moonlit Waltz.  
  
Three hours, another bottle of incredibly fine wine and much dancing later, Laguna helped Raine put on her floor length coat, as she carried her clutch and the award. Saying farewells to the few dawdlers, Mr. Loire picked up his tired and fragile wife, who in turn cradled her head into his neck. Taking one last look around the emptying room, Raine looked straight into the eyes of one dark haired woman clad in a luxuriously lush blue gown, who was being held by a Galbadian General who was sharing a few words with the announcer. Raine didn't think of it until she recognized the woman as the singer Julia Heartilly, and she quickly looked up at her husband's face, eyeing Laguna as he called a quick goodbye and 'it'll be on your desk in two days' to the editor of Timber Maniacs. It dawned on Raine as she turned her head back to the song-writing vixen that the soldier that was never seen again was in fact her husband. A moment of recognition passed between the two women, as Julia raised her martini glass as if to toast Raine, who nodded with a somewhat lost smile, one mirrored by a nod, then another nod and an approving smile from Julia, who leaned up to kiss her husband and lace an arm around his well-decorated waist. Raine never told Laguna of that brief meeting, maybe because she knew that at any time Laguna could have gone back to Julia, but didn't and Raine could feel Laguna's love for her radiating off the raven strands of her husband's head in waves. She did, however clutch Laguna tighter, and once they got back to their hotel room, give him the best lay of his life.

* * *

The small band of people sat, walked and stared out at the surrounding field as Laguna gazed once again at Raine's grave. Two hours of waiting had made all of them sore and just a bit hungry, so Kiros raised himself up, and trotted over to put a hand on Laguna's aging shoulder.  
  
"Nothing today, Laguna. If Griever was going to come he would have done it by now"  
  
Lifting himself up with a slight pop of the knee, Laguna sighed, stretching his arms above his head, as Rinoa, Squall and Ward looked up to pay closer attention to their leader/father.  
  
"You're right. I guess we should head back to the Ragn..."  
  
"How about Winhill?" Squall gambled, looking to everybody's mostly wary or shocked faces.  
  
"We can get something to eat at the bar, and I know it's not much, but Rin and I have fixed up the apartments enough to sleep in."  
  
All eyes turned to Laguna, who looked from Raine's grave to the sky, deflating a little and turning back to his son.  
  
"Sounds good."  
  
Kiros and Ward shared a glance, last time anyone suggested actually entering Winhill, Laguna had bawled like a child and run back to the Ragnarok. Whatever happened, Ward had a few tissues ready just in case.

* * *

"... cold, wet.. Raine.. NGH!"  
  
"No one can hear you, mortal man"   
  
Laguna woke with the sensation of falling, he had another nightmare of Raine except this time instead of her cold dead body, she opened her eyes and wailed his name. In the second it took for the sleep-deprived fog to clear, Laguna's face shot up as he swiped the hair away from his eyes. He knew that voice.  
  
"Griever! You son of a..."  
  
"Silence!" Griever roared, his mighty head falling slowly down after roaring a single word to the darkness of the heavens. Griever seemed to be floating, his mighty blackened limbs pulsating like a thickened fog as the red tendrilic blades jutting out of his forearms slived through the air in tandem with his ancient, somber wings. They were the wings of an angel who felt more grief than joy, an angel who had seen much of the hate, and putrid evil of the world. Who had felt evil and come out scarred and broken. It was then Laguna saw he was not in the make-shift bed on the floor of the house in Winhill, he was not in the field or in Esthar, he was in the Above, where all watchers ply their trade and view humanity.  
  
"Why?" Laguna asked, looking to the mighty lion for some comfort. Whatever comfort ther could be was little. With a jerk of his crimson spiked crown, Griever flung his head to meet the gaze of the one small man that almost cost him millenia of watching.  
  
"I would not let my line fail"  
  
"Your line? Isn't that a bit presumptuous?"  
  
Griever cocked his crowned head to the side taking in the man before him, so small, so powerless, easily dealt with. No. He was responcible for the heirs of the line, he deserved better than death.   
  
"Come" Laguna felt the authority in Griever's breath as the Guardian Force flung his wings up and down, a strong motion to lift himself above his corpse-like state of suspension, bringing Laguna with him.  
  
"Not like I have a choice" Laguna muttered, catching a glimpse from Griever and a raised eyebrow. The Lion took Laguna on a tour of the world, flying unseen by all but ones like themselves, he saw Ifrit's Fire Caves, and Quezacotl's forest perch. They flew by the ocean, and Leviathan's aquatic lair. Up to the top of the world and Shiva's palace of ice, gleaming and caressed by wind and snow, swooping down to Odin's silent Castle of stone and the tiny kingdom of Bahamut, King of Guardian Forces, Dragon, and guardsman of Eden, most powerful of them all. Again to the top of the world as Griever slowed, stopping shy of the Crater from the last Lunar Cry not ten leagues from Trabia.   
  
"This was my home"  
  
"Sure picked a dandy location." Laguna replied, folding his arms over his chest.  
  
"I was not unlike Ifrit and Odin, I had a land to govern, a people to protect. As their lines died away, some like the Brothers vowed to hold to their promised king forever, not relinquishing their hold even after the death of their most valued monarch. Odin ruled over the land of the Centra, I presided over its royal line. Now he is gone, and I am the last of the Centra Guardians".  
  
The ancient GF conjured a memory, flinging it out with a clawed paw to fill the sky with a vision he and Laguna could see. His voice croaked & growled through the tale, making Laguna think of an old tired sovereign watching his kingdom crumble from mould.  
  
"Before Shiva took residence in the north and cast her diamond ice web across the Tundra, I had built a sanctuary where I could watch over all the world. One clan of sumoners flung to my attention as their children played with Carbuncle, their youth searched for Eden and Diablos, and their elders payed reverence to Bahamut and Odin, fulfilling the tasks set before them and sailing in search of the power to control the destinies of mankind. One woman had so gallant a spirit, she reminded me of a lioness hunting her prey through all the earth. Hyne had taken joy in this woman and granted her life without withering, and an uncanny ability with the magicks that rippled through the earth. Moreso, this woman could feel the presence of the invisible, and wherever she sought, she found; unearthing the spirits of Guardian Forces for her people. War broke between the Centra and a clan who had come from the north seeking power, so the warriors were sent, but the other clan advanced until the elders of the Centra sent Miketa and her magic-born lover to beg mercy, for the Guardians of the Sumoners had grown fewer and silent from years of war and death. Sailing across the world, Miketa came to me, throwing herself at my feet, begging me to grant her the power to save her people. I remember watching the frivolity to which the youth of the Sumoners toyed with the Great Powers they did not understand, so I granted Miketa that I would come to the aide of any of her bloodline as long as it remained unbroken. Her lover took metals from the earth and forged a ring with my visage, the signet of our agreement, and gave it to his bride as a supplication for the might I had bestowed upon her before sending them on their way. With the aide of Leviathan, Miketa and her lover rode on the great serpent's back to hasten to the clan of her people. The battle which followed remained etched in my mind. Raising out of the water, Miketa flung herself at the shore, watching the few Sumoners still living banded together at the beach ruins of what used to be a city. Calling out to me, she held her ring high, and won the battle for her people."  
  
Visions of the battle consumed Laguna, as the tapestry of memory came to life, shocking him to tears at the scene. Miketa stormed the beach, calling forth Griever as the sky darkened to a sulfuric blackened red, tearing from top to bottom as Griever descended on the Northern clan. His white wings beating the churned air, Griever roared, letting loose a shockwave of horrible power, liquifying men, women and monsters as the lake of blood drained into the sea. Screams of terror rang high as the Northern Clan retreated, as other Guardian Forces bowed their heads and ascended, all but Bahamut, who had been called by the leader of the Northern Clan. With a brandishing of his teeth and claws, Griever roared again, setting his will against his king. Bahamut stretched his wings, and boomed his voice through time,   
  
"You will fight even me?"  
  
"I will fight any creature or power that comes against my people, Great Dragon! I am not afraid!" Miketa's voice rang proud and powerful over the hush of the crowd, Laguna watched Griever hang his head low as Bahamut took in the bravery of this one woman.  
  
"You have won this battle, your courage has come from the heart of a lion. Guardian of this woman, you will stay true to your promise, but may not enter the realm of the world unless called by the ring which bears your likeness. Be summoned or grieve, you have won the war"   
  
"I watched her be crowned and marry, have children and pass on my ring to her eldest daughter, forsaking her son and his father. Thus the ring passed through the maternal line. I watched Brothers fade away on the death of their king, powerless to ressurect him, to continue their duty. I vowed never to let Miketa's line break.   
  
When you came to Winhill, Raine fell for you as Miketa did her lover, I kept her alive as long as possible, I saved her from fading like the Brothers' king. She lingered unnaturally on, growing pregnant with your children, when time came for the twins to be born, she breathed your name. She screamed for you at the last of her strength she called for YOU, she knew you were never coming back, she felt it in her frail bones, yet she called for you, she birthed your son and whispered words of love for your ears. When your daughter came, she did not have the strength to survive. She cried appologies with her dying breaths to the child she would never see, the daughter that would have guaranteed her line's continuation, I was not going to let the line fail, so I took Ciel from her mother's womb, not yet touched by the air and Raine knew it, her last words were to tell you of her love, and that she waited and was sorry. I could have saved her if she had called on me, if she had called my name, not yours, mine! For acting and saving Ciel, Hyne set a boon before me, I saved the heir to my line, but that heir could not enter into the mortal world. As Raine's body was buried, I turned my gaze to her son and daughter, Ciel was by my side, Squall was not. I saw your pain as the news of Raine's preventable death reached you, I grieved with you, my grief deepened as I saw her son grow older, tortured by everything you did to him. You kept him away, sent a king to age in the ruins of his line's proudest moment. As he grew, you took Ellone away, you caused him to loose faith and hope and you neglected to tell him of the enormous gift he carried. The greatest dangers to Raine's line were caused by you, Laguna Loire. How do you answer for those crimes?"  
  
Laguna sunk to the snow crying, holding his shirt closed as he sobbed, feeling the brokenness of Griever wash over him and sink into his soul. As he was being consumed, a light began to shine as a subtle mist lifted the crushing grief above Laguna's shoulders. Taking a breath, Laguna felt a hand on his chin, lifting his face up to see a young woman with a knowing smile.   
  
"Hello Father"  
  
Laguna jerked away, wiping his eyes, then standing to see his daughter stand in front of him. Opening and closing his mouth, he grabbed Ciel to him, tears again filling his eyes as he hugged his daughter for the first time, whispering appologies in her ear. Taking the moment to record and remember each aspect of her father, Ciel broke the hug to wipe Laguna's eyes as he kissed her forehead and wrapped her in another hug, rocking side to side gently.   
  
Time passed, and Griever brought Laguna back to the bed he could see himself sleeping in at Raine's house in Winhill. Ciel began to get less tangible as Laguna jerked his head up,  
  
"Don't take her away from me again, Please!"  
  
"This will all be over soon, father."   
  
"Why not now? Why can't you come home now?"  
  
"Hyne acts for no man" Griever said, letting his head fall back in a magestic roar as Laguna watched Ciel and Griever dissapear and he woke to the sensation of falling. 


	10. Let all who hear believe

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Okay another day another chapter. I am determined to finish this fic within the next week, I have set a deadline and you can send me nasty emails if I don't finish. On a further note, I am still looking for a job so let's keep our hopes up that I get one, eh? We left Laguna in a pretty awkward position, let's see if we can lighten things up, shall we? NOTE: I'm putting a little continuity from Nobus in here, see if you can catch it, and if something doesn't make sense, try reading Nobus.  
  
AramiHeartilly: I like the twists, too. Let's see if you like these ones.  
  
Charm 65: I'm glad you can find redeeming qualities in my work. Hope you enjoy this.  
  
Jade Almasy: Thanks Jade, here's the continuation  
  
Lynn-Minmay: Hopefully I can keep Laguna's character on target. If not, let me know.  
  
Verdanii: YAY! Thanks, Verdanii!  
  
Twin-Lance: I like to try and cover my bases. Thanks for the reviews on Nobus, I love reviews.   
  
I worked hard on the dream with Griever, because I wanted to keep the story fluid and leave   
  
no loose ends. Enjoy!  
  
Karaoke Risa: I thought hard about whether I should have kept that part in, but came to the   
  
conclusion that if Raine didn't tell Laguna, then I could technically add it and I felt it gave a   
  
nice little touch to the whole Julia/Laguna relationship. Thanks for the reviews.

* * *

Dawn came and went, but noone could find Laguna, until Rinoa had the awe-inspiring idea of looking in the not-so-obvious places. She found him in less than a minute. She went alone.  
  
Tiptoeing towards the man, Rinoa was careful not to make noise as she watched him skip rocks while sitting on the old fishing dock by the lake.  
  
"Hello Rinoa."  
  
"How'd y..."  
  
"Old soldier. Some things never fade" the father said, skipping another rock one, two, three, four skips before it dislodged a frog from its perch on a lilypad.  
  
"I guess there's no use in my dramatic, planned out entrance then. Maybe I should cancel the dancing moombas?"  
  
"Heh. Sorry for spoiling the circus but this clown's not in a very festive mood. How did you know where to look?"  
  
"When we woke to no you, Squall panicked a little, let's just say he was a little worried the local townsfolk would recognise you and offer you a great view of the countryside from six feet under. Him, and Ward went searching for you, Kiros started in the other direction, I thought they'd check the usual places, the Ragnarok, the town, Raine's grave, ad nauseum so I thought where would someone who'd lived here before go when he needed time to think? Away from nosy townfolk, somewhere comfortable where he'd been going for years, I checked the Chocobo crossing, the next place I could think of was by the water, plenty places to hide, a bunch of rocks to skip, frogs for entertainment, sounded like you"  
  
Nodding, Laguna motioned for Rinoa to come sit beside him and handed her some rocks.   
  
"You and me are the same, Laguna. I know I'm a girl and a lot younger than you and a sorceress to boot, you're a man, the President of the most powerful country in the world, a father and older, but the part of us that makes us so deeply ourselves is the same."  
  
Laguna looked over to the girl, barely older than a child, so different from him,  
  
"What would that be Almighty Queen of Knowledge?" he asked, skipping another rock.  
  
"We both fell in love with a Lionheart"  
  
The sounds of water falling and bubbling dominated the small space as fish swam and the old creaky dock the two people sat on rocked and sang underneath them as Laguna tried to think of where this conversation was going and why he felt like listening.  
  
"My mother told me stories. She would tuck me in and sing me lullabies and tell me of the soldier that gave her the gift of using her voice. She told me how she thought she loved the soldier, but she also told me how that same nervous soldier dissapeared then she was able to sit at that piano and sing to so many people. I can see her holding me one night when I was five, two months before she died and rock me to sleep. I was sick and hadn't been feeling the greatest and it was late at night and my father had come in and kissed me goodnight, it made me feel like everything was okay. She sang to me as I sniffled and coughed and told me of the time she realized that the purpose of the soldier coming into her life was not to give her life a tragedy, a story to tell the kids of how love was taken away, but to teach her that everybody has a voice and not to use it is the real tragedy. I guess that's how I got to be okay, how I got to be able to love my mother as much as always, but not dwell on the fact that she's never going to be there to sing lullabies to my family someday. It took me a while to figure out that the soldier was you, and that you were Squall's father but I figured it out and it made everything right all over again. He's not a whole lot like you, Laguna. Squall's got the same Lionheart spirit that Raine had."  
  
"Other than making me extremely satisfied that Julia remembered me and that my son isn't going to be following in the footsteps of dear old dad, why are you here, Rinoa?"  
  
"Griever visited you last night."  
  
"How'd you figure that one out? Wait, let me answer that: you're a sorceress"  
  
"It doesn't take a sorceress to hear a grown man scream. I saw Griever, I felt him back when we fought Ultimecia. I recognised the sickening feeling he gives off in the way you cried in your sleep."  
  
The president gazed sideways at the love of his son's life, the playful girl who thought her lot in life was playing practical jokes on her friends and making his son laugh, who knew? Maybe it was. Maybe not.  
  
"It was the first time I got to hold my little girl. Ciel came after Griever showed me how he got to become the guardian of Raine's line."  
  
"That wasn't all"  
  
"What, did I talk in my sleep, too?"  
  
"Sorceress, you're not revealing everything. I can tell"  
  
"Can I use you in treaty negotiations? Secret Service, perhaps?"  
  
"Laguna"  
  
"Okay, okay. I'm opening up to a nineteen year old, how easy can it be?"  
  
They smiled at each other, not much of a smile, but the intention was clear.  
  
"Griever ... he told me ... ... I was the cause of Raine's death. He said if she had only called on him, he could have saved her! Above all the other guilt I feel, KABOOM! Guess what Laguna! You knocked up a dying woman! Go YOU! Having Ciel killed her! Would have killed Ciel too if Griever hadn't gone against all orders and took her."  
  
Breathing a huge sigh and shaking away the tears, Laguna skipped another rock before continuing,  
  
"We've paid the price, I lost my wife, you and Squall lost your mothers, I've lived with the guilt of watching my son grow up without knowing he even had a father, and I've lived wanting to know what my daughter would have looked like if she had grown older. We sacrificed, I fought, we battled, waged war, defeated some psycho-bitch sorceress, what more does Hyne want!? I mean, what next? Galbadia bombs Esthar and my son never wants to see me again? Why do some lives have to be so unfair when other people just get to be happy?"  
  
"I can't answer those questions and I know you didn't want me to, but I can say this. I don't know much, but through the past year I've come to know how to be a sorceress. It took me asking why and how and all that, but it wasn't until I stopped asking questions that I wasn't capable of understanding and just used my sorceress powers before they started to work. I don't think we're capable of understanding, I don't think that's the point, I think the point is to stop trying to delve too deep into the mess of a world we're in and just trust that we can do something about it. When I let go my fears, I was able to defeat a sorceress. I had the power all along, I just needed to forget what I've been taught about sorceresses and evil and just do what I knew I could do. Without you, Squall wouldn't have been born. If he hadn't been born, he couldn't grow up to defeat Ultimecia"  
  
"If Squall and Ciel hadn't been born, Ultimecia wouldn't exist in the future. Raine should have died a lot sooner than she did. Griever kept her alive until she had the twins. Griever saved Ciel, Griever will work for Ultimecia. What about that makes you believe Hyne's involved? Sounds a hell of a lot like self-preservation to me. Griever is petrified of loosing the bloodline, it's all that matters. More like we're suffering for Griever's screw ups than Hyne having a master plan"  
  
Rinoa looked back at the man's face, she forgot how old he looked. She was used to remembering him 20 years younger from the vision-dreams Ellone put them under, now he just looked tired. His hair was greying, his eyes had laugh lines, wrinkles were beginning to form, but his eyes held nothing of the exuberant joy he held back when he was Laguna Loire, journalist, lover, soldier, idealist. Now he was just a President who had seen to much ugliness in the world. Hyne, give him a break.

* * *

"Raine! Come see this!" Laguna whisper-yelled, calling the flower picking woman over to his side. Trotting up beside him, Raine smiled,   
  
"What are we looking at?"   
  
"Shh. Over there, Ellone" her husband pointed, wrapping his arm around his wife to reveal Ellone playing with some Chicobos. Raine's smile widened as she watched the little girl flapping her arms while running in circles shouting,  
  
"Wark! Wark wark! Wark!" with several of the small yellow birds playing along. As the small girl tumbled through the grass, husband and wife smiled at each other,  
  
"She's so happy now" Raine said, wrapping her arm around Laguna and putting her other hand in his back pocket while kissing his cheek.   
  
"She's not the only one that's happy" Laguna smirked, looking at his wife with a familiar glint in his eyes. Raine laughed, turning from the scene of Ellone falling down and the mother Chocobo picking her up by the beak to Laguna making bedroom eyes.  
  
"What? O come on, is that all you men ever think about?"  
  
Looking up at the sky, down at the grass, up Raine's leg, back up to the sky,  
  
"Mmmm" he began, Raine interupting him by copying the sound he was making,  
  
"Mmmm, do I really want an answer?"   
  
"I'm thinking no, nadda, nuh uh, negativo, nope, come back later, not really, no"  
  
As Laguna shook his head, Raine's smile grew broader as she chuckled and slapped Laguna's chest.  
  
"Don't blame me, you're the one with your hand in my pocket"   
  
"Ah, well maybe I should take it out?"  
  
At Laguna's whimper, she giggled,  
  
"Maybe I should put my hand in your pocket and see how you react"  
  
"Laguna, I wouldn't have it any other way"   
  
That was the only warning Laguna got as Raine twirled around and jumped on him, sending both of them careening to the soft grass.  
  
"Woa! We're gonna get dirty!" Laguna spasmed,   
  
"Dirty? We're going to get dirty? New invention: Washing Machine"  
  
"Me and my big mouth" Laguna said, rolling his eyes and kissing Raine's smirking lips.  
  
"I can put you and your big mouth to better uses" Raine drawled, kissing Laguna's ear as she licked his earlobe.  
  
"Learning about the miracle of laundry detergent?" Laguna said, smiling innocently,  
  
"Don't you know it" Raine muttered, biting Laguna's lower lip and drawing it out slowly before raking his chest with her fingers and kissing him to his pleasurable groans.  
  
Rolling over, Laguna pulled Raine's yellow sweater off and flailed it over to the side,   
  
"The sweater is Off!" he said triumphantly as Raine threw his jacket beside the sweater before looking up and around as Laguna reached for the bottom of her camisole.  
  
"Wait"  
  
"Wait? Wait? You expect me to wait?"  
  
"Ellone"  
  
"Yeah,"  
  
"What if she y'know, sees us"  
  
"Lifelong scarring?"  
  
"That's what I'm thinking"  
  
Laguna gave a defeated sigh and fell down onto the grass only to get right back up as he and Raine saw Ellone racing up the hill on the back of the mother chocobo.  
  
"Yaaaaaayyyyy!!!!!" the little girl shouted, bouncing on the large yellow bird.  
  
"YES! GO CHOCOBO!! Take her away!" Laguna yelled,   
  
"Make sure she's home for dinner!!" Raine yelled out to the chocobo, who warked and ... waved? The couple began laughing as several chicobos trampled over them in a b-line for their mother.  
  
"STAMPEDE!!!" Laguna shouted as Raine shrieked and leaped to straddle Laguna's lap, laughing her head into his chest. After all signs of little girls and birds were gone, Laguna deadpaned,  
  
"Well that was exciting... Raine you might want to take a breath... it wasn't that funny"  
  
"Hahaha... I know... hahah..." taking a sigh, she looked into the eyes of the love of her life while biting her lip,  
  
"Where were we?"  
  
"I was going to comment about the beauty of your camisole and ask if it was a casualty of the last Loire paycheque, you were going to tell me yes, and do I like the colour, to which I was going to say yes and I think it looks better crumpled beside your yellow sweater"  
  
Raine rocked her hips slightly on Laguna's, eliciting a groan from the man now holding onto her hips, then running his fingers up her sides to pull off the light blue camisole. Kissing deeply, Laguna and Raine pulled off Laguna's t-shirt, unbuckled his trousers and her jeans and spent the next 43 minutes groping, moaning and shouting each other's name in ecstacy.

* * *

"He really believes it's all Griever's fault"  
  
"Have you ever thought that maybe it is?"  
  
"But Hyne..."  
  
"Hyne's spent the last four hundred years equalising the equation."  
  
Rinoa cocked her head to see Squall's face better as she traced his facial scar with a finger. She had gone back to the bar after talking to Laguna, but he didn't follow her back. Now she and Squall sat on the couch amidst the scaffolding and paint cans folded together, as the rain poured and Kiros and Ward went to keep a secret surveilance of their friend and President.   
  
"Think about it, Rinoa. Griever was never supposed to be guarding one family line. He alone unbalanced the world powers, Miketa, Raine, Ultimecia, me, we're all products in one way or another of Griever getting involved."  
  
"Are you saying "  
  
"I'm saying that Griever made this mess, and someone had to put the world back into balance, we did that by defeating Ultimecia, we're living for Griever's mistakes, now that there's some sort of balance maybe all that's left is Ciel. She seems to be the last loose end."  
  
Rinoa sighed,   
  
"Hyne, Squall I've got it. Remember when we were fighting Ultimecia and Fujin was in surgery?"  
  
"Yes, what has tha..."  
  
"She was pregnant, Squall. It wasn't until after we defeated Ultimecia that she lost the child. Maybe... maybe I don't know, maybe Seifer and Fujin's child was going to hook up with ours?"  
  
Squall wiped his face with his hand clearly not wanting to think about his former enemy,  
  
"What makes you think that?"   
  
"Call it Sorceress Intuition"  
  
"Have you told him yet?"  
  
"Not exactly"  
  
"... Rin, he has to know." Squall closed his eyes, and rubbed the bridge of his nose  
  
"I know, but well... he's your father... you remember what happened with my dad"  
  
"Yeah, I never knew I could dodge a bullet that close"  
  
"Just be glad I had already cast protect"  
  
"That a fact?"  
  
"Yep" Rinoa said, adding a sultry, seductive quality to her voice as she turned around to straddle Squall and put her hands on his shoulders. Squall ran his gloved fingers along her sides, placing his hands firmly on her shoulder blades and bringing her down to kiss him tenderly. Running her hands on the inside of Squall's jacket, she went to pull it off, but Squall grabbed her wrists,  
  
"Not so fast, first we tell Laguna."  
  
"Awww, c'mon, just a quickie" the mischevious 19 year old said, lunging for Squall's belt buckle. Swerving to the side and grabbing her waist, turning her around to have her back to him, as he paused to stroke her stomac, Squall held Rinoa steady.  
  
"Wow. Forgot how fast you are" Rinoa breathed, letting her head sink back to his shoulder as he massaged her neck with one hand and drew patterns across her belly with the other. Leaning towards her ear, he whispered,  
  
"Learn your opponent's objective, find the weakest points in their defence, use them to diffuse the situation"  
  
"Are you always on, oh master SeeD Commander?"  
  
"Are you always impulsive?"  
  
Rinoa took in a breath, paused,  
  
"Touche"  
  
"You or me?"  
  
Rinoa leaned up and licked Squall's neck. Squall replied by taking the hand at the top of her neck and turning her head forward then nipping her ear.  
  
"I take it that you want me to tell him"  
  
Rinoa nodded,  
  
"Don't know why, it was your fault"  
  
"My fault!? Mr. Squall Lionheart! It takes two, y'know!"  
  
"Yea, yeah, at least I wanted to wait until we got a condom"  
  
"Like I was going to wai... okay so it is my fault, but you didn't seem too down on the situation"  
  
"I'm only human" Squall said, shifting to put Rinoa on the couch as he got up and fixed his jacket and gloves. Before Rinoa could counter his argument, the youth leaned down to kiss Rinoa's lips, with a learnt-from-Rinoa-conversation-ending kiss then released her to sigh and keep her eyes closed.  
  
"I'll be back after I tell Laguna"  
  
"Uh huh" Rinoa answered, clearly still in limbo.  
  
Smiling to himself, Squall fluffed up his collar and began to stroll down the stairs, lifting his head up to drawl "Later, Rin" in his sexiest voice to another small grunt from his fiancee. Smirking to himself again, he trotted down the stairs and across the floor to take a deep breath and open the door. Who he opened the door to would surprise everyone beyond words. 


	11. Tea and Sympathy

A/N: Whose on the other side of the door? Someone you'd least suspect. Hopefully. This is a tie some loose ends and develop character relationship chapter with one whopping secret revealed. As soon as it's out on the web, and in your hands, I get to breathe, and begin writing the next couple chapters. Squall has a bit of a break-down in this chapter, and I just realised there are no Raine/Laguna bits... huh... I'll have to make it up to you in the next chapter, eh?  
  
Lynn-Minmay: I personally hate Rinoa. Her character bothers me beyond words, so to get over that, I've been writing her as a favourable and needed character so hopefully after this fic she won't bug me as much. I thought looking at the similarities between Rinoa and Laguna was going to help with the get-ara-to-like-Rinoa-platform.  
  
Twin-Lance: :D maybe I shouldn't reveal that? ... . . . NAAAHH!!! All the questions of your review get answered this chapter.  
  
vilgoui: third. line. down. the answer will shock you... and relieve me of one major loose end I had going in writer's land.

* * *

"Still looking for your Old Man?"  
  
"Who're you?"  
  
"Names Jordan, Mrs. Jordan, kiddo."  
  
"How do you..."  
  
"I helped take care of Ellone when Raine was ill. I birthed you, boy I was there. I also have become an expert in Loire-finding over the years"  
  
Still slightly confused, Squall didn't have enough time to ask questions as Mrs. Jordan grabbed his arm and walked him under her umbrella down the Winhill trails to where Laguna sat soaking wet with his feet dangling in the water.  
  
"Laguna Loire, you stand up this instant!" the elderly woman commanded, to which a very confused Laguna Loire stumbled up to stand and gawk at the one woman he didn't want to see, holding an umbrella over herself and his son.  
  
"You're still alive?"  
  
"Well if that isn't the introduction I get..."  
  
"I mean, hello Mrs. Jordan... hey Squall... do you know her?"  
  
"Apparently" Squall mumbled, fidgeting with his collar  
  
"Don't you have something to tell him, Squall?" Mrs. Jordan asked, nudging the young adult on.  
  
"Okay, what've I been missing?" Laguna asked, putting his hands on his hips after wringing out his hair.  
  
"Well, Dad..."  
  
"Oh, you two are useless. Come on, we're going to my place to do this properly over a cup of tea and a biscuit." Mrs. Jordan tugged Squall's arm and motioned them to leave. Both Loire men looked at each other and shrugged,  
  
"You'd think a grown man would have more sense than to sit in the rain. Then again, he got it from your mother. Something was wrong with that girl, always dancing in the rain when decent folk were trying to get some sleep. Had to be something wrong with her to marry that bumbling clod. As a matter of fact, I can remember several incidents where he was loyal, I never thought he'd stay as long as he did, sacrificing himself for our dear Ellone. I offered to take you two in after you were born, but Laguna and Edea had different plans, and look how you turned out, fighting for money, well you're going to need that money for your family. At least you got some of Raine's sense to move back to Winhill, a great place to raise a family, and Raine knew it, mark my words. . ." Squall tuned the rest out as he looked to where his father walked beside them and did actions to Mrs. Jordan's words, rolling his eyes and stopping everytime Mrs. Jordan would look their way.  
  
Once in Mrs. Jordan's little cottage, the elderly woman scampered to and fro handing Laguna a towel and a sweater she had knitted for Mr. Jordan before he died as she hung up Squall's coat and gloves and put the kettle on.  
  
"Who is she?" Squall whispered to Laguna, who sat brushing his hair.  
  
"Town Know-it-all. Also self appointed Loire-hater and babysitter of all Lionheart / Loire children" Laguna whispered before putting down the brush and tying his hair back in a half ponytail.  
  
"So, what was she talking about, Squall?"  
  
"Um.. well... okay so it's like this"  
  
"Uh oh, must be big news if the great and stalwart Squall Lionheart is nervous about it"  
  
Just before Squall could finish.. or start.. his sentence, Mrs. Jordan came out with a pot of tea and two cups and saucers with a plate of biscuits and fresh baking alongside,  
  
"Girlfriend's pregnant" she said, putting the teacups with the hot liquid down in front of the two men and immediately handing Laguna a napkin as he thanked her, took a sip and spit it back out, while Mrs. Jordan held a towel in place to catch all of Laguna's spit-offs.  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
"How'd you..?" Squall blurted, completely and thoroughly stunned.  
  
"I can tell a pregnant woman a mile away. Girl's a month along, I'd say, sweet thing, too. She'll make an excellent mother."  
  
"Squall, do you mind explaining this?" Laguna said, taking another sip of tea precariously as Mrs. Jordan decided to leave the father and son alone. Trying to get some colour back into his face, Squall took a deep breath,  
  
"It wasn't my fault! I was trying to be responcible, but Rinoa... she... please don't shoot me"  
  
"Hold on here, why would I shoot you?"  
  
"That's... sorta what... General Caraway ... did"  
  
"HE SHOT YOU!?"  
  
"I managed to dodge the bullet!"  
  
"That's the last time I'm nice to him in Treaty Negotiations"  
  
"So, about Rinoa"  
  
"What about Rino.aaaahhh, right ... mind telling me the details?"  
  
"Okay," Squall paused to put a chocolate-covered cookie back on the place and wipe his fingers clean of melted chocolate and take a deep breath.  
  
"It was after another Garden Festival, Headmaster Cid decided to give me another award for diffusing a situation between Trabia and Galbadia without violent outcomes, so I got decorated again, and Rinoa was well... Rinoa sorta ... ambushed me after I left early and one thing led to another, I wanted to wait, she didn't, she's really good at changing my mind and I'm only human, so I... woke up the next morning in my suite with her making me breakfast in the nude. . . sorry?"  
  
Digesting both the information and a hot biscuit, Laguna took another sip of tea, slowly put the cup down and passed his son one of the hot biscuits, to which Squall took and cautiously ate watching for Laguna's reaction.  
  
"I'm not going to get angry, Caraway took that angle already. When did you ask her to marry you?"  
  
"A week later"  
  
"Did you..."  
  
"She told me she was pregnant the morning after I proposed. I sorta coaxed it out of her after I held her hair back from morning sickness"  
  
"Sounds like Rinoa"  
  
"Are you dissapointed?"  
  
"I am. . . okay with it. I mean, if you weren't committed, you wouldn't have jumped into space for her, so I'm just going to say congratulations and when were you going to tell me?"  
  
"Uh, it's sort of why we came"  
  
"And you couldn't tell me back in Esthar? Okay, now it's making sense, why NOW? I mean, why in the bleeding pits of hell did Griever choose NOW to reveal Ciel to the world, eh? Now we know! He's done with Ciel in what, another eight months? He won't need her anymore after that!"  
  
"Laguna Loire! Any more filthy language and I'll clean your mouth out, young man! And don't think I won't!" Mrs. Jordan shouted from in the kitchen. After shouting a quick appology, and thanks for the tea, Laguna rose.  
  
"Now wait just one minute, Mr. Loire! You are going to talk things out with your son and you are going to do it without walking away and huffing about on that frog forsaken dock of yours! He came a long way to get you out of that hermitation you call Esthar, and he's spent the last three weeks fixing up Raine and YOUR property so Rinoa would have a place to live! The least you could do is understand that he's trying to mend his past blunders more than you ever did! At least I'd think taking the poor girl under his wing and spending truck-loads of money making the places comfortable for her is something you'd understand and be proud of. I know the rest of the town in proud of him!"   
  
"Mrs. Jordan, I did everything I could for Raine" Laguna seethed, his voice barely above a whisper,  
  
"I know you did and I thank you for it, so instead of reliving the past that you can do nothing about, help and teach your son how to deal with this, because I have a feeling the reason he came to you in the first place was for help! You raised Ellone into a fine young woman, it's high time you helped raise your son to be a fine father"  
  
"Did you just thank me?"  
  
"As a matter of fact I did. I will be honest with you, I never thought you'd stay with Raine as long as you did and I realised some time ago that you would have been here forever if you didn't love Ellone as much as you did, so let an elderly woman give credit where's due and don't forget that I'm not through with you, yet, Laguna Loire!"  
  
"I can deal with that" Laguna nodded, offering his hand out to shake. Taking it, the feisty old woman shook Laguna's hand firmly yet frail, turning to the stunned, moping Squall and winking before Laguna could see.  
  
Outside, the rain stopped, leaving a soggy trail of mud back to the rest of the town Squall and Laguna started to trudge through on their way back to Raine's Bar. It took ten steps for Laguna to stop and say,  
  
"Hold on one minute" Squall stopped and precariously turned around,  
  
"All this talk about living in the past and being a father and all that is fine, but did anyone ever think to really ask me what I thought about all this?"  
  
Squall shoved his hands in his pockets and tried to put on his best whatever look, but Laguna saw through it.  
  
"Truth is, Squall: I'm proud of you." Squall looked up to take in his father's gaze with some tenseness, leaning in a bit more,  
  
"Yes, I, Laguna am proud of you, Squall. I'm proud of how you grew up, I'm proud of how you handle a gunblade, Hyne knows I couldn't get the hang of the damn thing, I'm proud of what you've done and accomplished at SeeD and how you've grown into the strongest warrior I've ever known, and I've seen quite a few"  
  
"Lag..."  
  
"Nuh uh, Let me finish, I'm proud that you let yourself realise you love Rinoa before it was too late, and I'm hell of a lot proud of how you treat her 'cause we both know if she's got Caraway blood in her, we'll need all the help we can get! I'm proud that you want to marry her, she's a good girl and she loves you more than anything, and I'm proud of the fact that you are going to make the most awesome, if not overprotective, father this side of paradise. There, I said it! I, Laguna Loire must be a horrible person because I'm proud my 18 year old son knocked up his girlfriend! I hope everybody hates me for being proud. I might not be the best guy in the world, or the most intelligent, you get the bright and beautiful qualities from your mother, but at least I've learned to admit when I should mend things, and that took a lot of time coming, almost started wars learning that one. I hope one day you won't mind that I'm your father, and that I made some major mistakes in how to treat, raise and handle you, but at least I gave you to your aunt, bought you a gunblade and helped you help Rinoa. I can't change the past, but I can change the future. Seifer taught me that, Fujin and Rajin, too."  
  
Squall toed the mud with his boot, raising a few pebbles before,  
  
"Seifer, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, you should have seen how he cried like a small child when I showed him Rajin's torture. We had to mop the floor with a giant sponge. Almost as bad as Fujin and Seifer together, that was a real treat to mop up after. You crushed him, Squall, all of them. I'll admit watching you strike the final blow to Fujin in Lunatic Pandora made my skin crawl, but I know why you did it. Sometimes mercy has to be harsh, otherwise people might hurt themselves more"  
  
"I don't know what to do. I'm not old enough to have a kid, I'm 18! I just... everyone expects so much! Squall, the great commander of SeeD! Did anyone ever ask if I wanted the job? I just did it because everyone expected me to play the hero when all I wanted was for someone to tell me where to point my gunblade then to go to bed and curl up under my covers. How do I know what's best for anyone? Can't someone just tell me what to do? Can't someone else be the leader? As much as I hate to admit it, I need you. I don't think Rinoa's clicked in yet that this is gonna change everything. Heck, I was barely ready to ask her to marry me, I knew I wanted to, so why prolong the punishment? I wanted a long engagement, she wants the wedding in three months! Everythings been going so FAST. One second we're having a cordial conversation with Rinoa's father, the next second I'm getting shot at! I don't want to have to be strong anymore. Can't I just mess up without anyone handing me a medal? All I ever dream about is mom, even without Ellone in my head, I just close my eyes and see her, but I can never touch her, I can never get close enough. . . I know what she looks like from what I remember from being in your memories, but . . . she never got to hold me, Dad. My mother died before I could even get a hug. . . Sorry, I shouldn't be saying this"  
  
Squall said wiping the hair out of his eyes and sniffing the building tears. It was then that Laguna realised his chance at being a father was staring him in the eyeballs and he had done very little about it. Squall sat down on a boulder and raised his knees to his chin, Laguna knelt to Squall's eye level and put a hand on his shoulder,   
  
"You don't have to be strong, Squall. I've got enough pig-headedness for the both of us and triplets. Just, man Squall I don't know what to do other than let you vent and maybe give you a hug if you won't hit me, heck I might even be able to help you"  
  
Squall smirked, motioning Laguna to sit beside him, rising and taking a seat beside his son, the older man sighed,   
  
"It's been so long I forget you're 19 in three days. No world breaking stuff, for the next three days, nobody's gonna bother my son with any responcibilities at all. So, what do you want for your birthday?"  
  
"Would I be evil if I said a miscarriage?"  
  
"Only ... yeah. Why?"  
  
"It's not like I don't want kids, but I'm not ready, yet. I ... I .. Rin's so excited, I don't think I can hold out on letting Rinoa get it out of my head that I'm not. I'm her Knight, do you have any idea of how difficult it's going to be to protect a pregnant sorceress?"  
  
"If it's anything like protecting a bouncy five year old, I might be able to help you."  
  
"Right when I thought the bad stuff was over, we won the war, we defeated Ultimecia and the press died down, I thought I'd have some time to get used to the whole trusting people and having friends and a family thing, but nope, somebody has to keep Squall Lionheart on his toes. I don't know how much more I can handle this. I'm not ready."  
  
The mighty Squall Lionheart was again forced to tears. Laguna put an arm around his son, bringing the youth closer as he watched Squall burry his face in his knees. Choking back a few tears of his own, Laguna tried to do something useful,  
  
"No Squall, you're not ready for this, I don't think timing is something Hyne got right. Here, my shirt makes a good hankie" Laguna said, motioning Squall toward a sleeve. Squall let out a short chuckle, before slapping his arms around Laguna in the first hug initiated by Squall Laguna was privy to. Patting Squall's leather-coated back, Laguna said,  
  
"Don't worry about a thing, I need a new hobbie seeing as how the whole lets-keep-Esthar-invisible thing's died down, I might as well take up grandchild sitting. It'll be fun to raise a baby, I'm sure of it. Plus, if Caraway's not going to do a whole lot, I can shove it in his face at Embassy Gatherings" hearing Squall give another short chuckle and a sniff, Laguna rolled his sleeve down, and took a minute to wipe Squall's face off.  
  
"There, all better. Let's go back before her holiness sends out a two man scouting party, eh?"  
  
"Deal" father and son trudged the path down to Raine's Bar with an arm on each other's shoulders until they got close enough to see Rinoa waiting at the entrance to the Bar tapping her foot. Giving a sigh, Squall braced himself for the 'conversation' he would have to eventually have with Rinoa about why he and Laguna took so long. Giving Squall a knowing glance, Laguna slapped his son's back again, just as water started to again fall from the sky.  
  
Looking up at the impending downpour, both men shared a single word,  
  
"RUN!" 


	12. As we gaze through time

A/N: A LOT of Laguna/Raine moments in this one, to make up for the lack of Laguna/Raine last chapter. Sorry for the wait.  
  
Karaoke Risa: I cannot stand how some authors write Rinoa as a ditz. When playing the game, I thought she was passable, but I didn't like her as much as Fujin or Raine. Through writing her favourably in this fic, I've gotten to explore the side of Rinoa that I can enjoy, so I'm hoping it shows through. Thanks for the word on Laguna's speech, it was the fastest part to write that chapter. Thanks for the support  
  
Arami Heartilly: Yeah, if I get going, I can write half a story in a day. That's when I usually move on to another one of my stories, take a break and remember that readers can't read as fast as I can build plot[or plotless] lines. I had to put Squall as a future father for some... reasons that will be answered hopefully this chapter or next. Stay Tuned, and thanks  
  
Twin-Lance: I find it interesting how one of the most questionable [worth-wise] chapters to write has turned out as one of my best. Yeah, I thought I'd have Laguna dead-pan Caraway just a little ;). I had to put Mrs. Jordan in it, she was the thorn in Laguna's side in Winhill, I wrote her after my grandma, she's totally like that.  
  
vilgoui: just call me speedy typesalas... actually please don't. I had to give Squall a sort of 'what the hell is going on' break-down, it fit with the storyline of Squall getting closer to Laguna, after all, what ELSE would make Squall want to get near the trainwreck that is Laguna? I take it you guys are excited about the Rinoa's pregnant thing... huh!

* * *

"Hey there handsome" Raine drawled to Laguna, who sat on the bar with a pencil in his mouth and a scribbled on note book in his hand. Stepping precariously over the crash course of paper, she gave a small frown as Laguna grunted and went back to his writing.   
  
"Achem. I am trying to seduce you, can you give me some tips?"  
  
"What's a word that goes with tourist?"  
  
"With or instead"  
  
"yeah"  
  
"Traveller, Annoying Pestilence, Vagabond, Horny,"  
  
"Hor... Raaaine! I'm being serious"  
  
"What makes you think I'm joking around?"  
  
"Mrph... I've gotta finish this article"  
  
"You've been working on it for three hours"  
  
"Got 200 words, need 250"  
  
"You're never going to finish by staring at the page"  
  
"Says you"  
  
"Says me" Raine said, sliding onto the bar and placing her palm over the notebook. Laguna looked up as Raine slid her hand through his hair and pulled it up to kiss his forehead. Turning to make a wise-crack at her, Laguna dropped the notebook, and pencil. Raine grinned, giggling slightly through her teeth as Laguna felt his arm around Raine's side and the soft, silky fabric of the short-cropped shimmery red nightgown.  
  
"Wow"  
  
"Come to bed," Mrs. Loire taunted sensually rolling her hips and upper torso to scrape her husband's stomach.  
  
"Keep doing that and we're not going to make it to the bedroom, you saucy little siren"  
  
"Mmm, that's my intention"  
  
"Mmmm, kay"  
  
"Your article?"  
  
"Forgetit, lady" Laguna answered, licking the hollow of Raine's throat and caressing from her stomach to the small of her back to Raine's purring.  
  
"Been a week" Mr. Loire breathed with a husky voice, as Raine pulled Laguna's t-shirt off.  
  
"Blame it on nature, Warrior Man"   
  
Tracing her husband's chest, Raine stopped at a three inch red scar,   
  
"New scar?"  
  
"Visage clipped me good"  
  
"Close to your heart"  
  
Grabbing Raine's wrists, Laguna leaned up to lick Raine's lips and kiss her while he led her arms to both sides of his shoulders. She purred into his mouth as she felt up his back, neck and hair, moving her legs to straddle Laguna. Feeling down his muscular shoulders, Raine unbuckled Laguna's belt, ripping it off to fall onto the floor behind the bar. They didn't make it farther than the bartop.

* * *

Purring softly, Raine lifted her head up to kiss Laguna's throat. Beneath her, Laguna groaned, opening his eyes slowly to mutter,  
  
"I think I'm laying on my notebook"  
  
Chuckling softly, Raine rolled over to grab her husband's trousers to a general sound of discontent from the man beneath her.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Raine rose on her hands, kissed Laguna's nose and threw the trousers at him as he rolled over and put them on. Just in time, as Mrs. Jordan waltzed into the Bar with an air of general complaint.  
  
"Uh oh. Laguna, duck" Raine whispered, to have Laguna look up, a genuine stroke of fear coating his face as he slid under the bar and around Raine's knees. She was wearing his shirt.  
  
"Hello, Mrs. Jordan. Hope you're having a good day, what can I get you?"  
  
"Your husband" the woman said, practically seething the syllables and making Raine cringe  
  
"Sorry, he's not on the menu today. I'll let you know when I decide to serve him with a side of sofa"  
  
Raine swatted Laguna as he began to whisper 'side of sofa?!' to have him retaliate by licking the underside of her knee. Blinking away the tickling feeling, Raine turned again to Mrs. Jordan, who was currently engaged in stamping her toes on the floor.  
  
"Well then, you can bring me a housewife's folly and a talking to when that long haired hippy gets back."  
  
"Gin and tonic it is, and for your information, Laguna's the farthest thing from a hippy, he doesn't even enjoy gardening." Raine said, kicking Laguna lightly with her foot as he began tracing circles up her leg. He caught her foot and was   
  
"His haircut shows me different"  
  
"One moment!" Raine ducked below the counter to smack Laguna across the face,  
  
"You're worse than Ellone!" she whispered, kissing him and telling him to crawl back to the storage room as she grabbed a clean glass and bottle of gin. Filling the glass with a gin and tonic on the rocks, she put it on a coaster and slid it to where Mrs. Jordan had sat on the bar. Just as Raine was thanking Hyne that she didn't have to walk out of her sanctuary behind the bar in her risque nightgown and Laguna's tee shirt, a middle aged fisherman came in, sat at his favourite table inthe back of the bar and ordered the usual Bourbon and a chaser of port. Blinking nervously, Raine began getting his order ready, and right before she was going to ask if he'd come get it,  
  
"Hello, darling. Sorry I'm late, I had a brush with a particularly tiring monster"  
  
Sighing in relief, Raine hugged Laguna back, fixed the hem of the t shirt he got from the laundry, gave him a peck on the cheek and,  
  
"Great! You can make yourself useful by taking this order to our fine fisherman" giving his bottom a light slap as he kissed her nose and took the tray to the fisherman.  
  
"Well, when you're finished lollygaging, Mr. Loire, I have something very important to talk to you about"  
  
"Sure, you old cro...wning glory of Winhill" Raine slapped her hand on her forehead, before filling Mrs. Jordan's glass with more gin and tonic. Mrs. Jordan eyed Laguna with the gaze of death before sipping the gin and tonic and daintily placing it on the coaster.  
  
Taking the tray back behind the bar, Laguna slung his arm around Raine, another direct hit to the enemy as Mrs. Jordan sniggered behind her glass.   
  
To say the relationship between Laguna and Mrs. Jordan was strained was an understatement, they hated each other, and all encounters between the two turned into a private war. Score so far: Mrs. Jordan 2, Laguna 4. Take that y'old biddy. Inspecting her nails, Mrs. Jordan calmly came to the point,  
  
"Mr. Loire. I want to know how much longer you as the head of your miniscule family are going to leave Raine as the primary sourse of financial revenue" add one for Mrs. Jordan.  
  
"Mrs. Jordan, I've told you already, Laguna's not leaving me to the finances, he's a writer"  
  
"If I wanted to hear your excuses, Raine, I would have asked you. Now, Mr. Loire, will you give me the courtesy of a responce?"  
  
"I write for Timber Maniacs, they send me money for articles, two weeks later, the paycheck is in Raine's hands. Happy?"  
  
"When are you going to get a real job and raise a family?"  
  
"I thought you'd like to limit the Loire population in Winhill"  
  
"Well... at least ... Raine deserves a proper family setting"  
  
Score: Mrs. Jordan = 5, Laguna = 7 for leaving Mrs. Jordan hanging on her words.   
  
"Has anyone ever asked ME what I think?!" Raine jumped in, yelling at the two who had continued to spew a maelestrom of politely spun insults and rebuttles. The room went silent, even for the Fisherman who was chuckling at the entertainment he got everytime he went into the Bar.   
  
"I was just looking after your welfa..."  
  
"Claws away, you old cat!" Raine shouted, stamping her foot and pouring more gin in Mrs. Jordan's 4th drink. The Fisherman could be heard ooing in the background.  
  
"No matter how it must torture you, Mrs. Jordan, I love Laguna, that's why I married him. And in case you havn't noticed, he has done everything in his power to help, guide, aide and generally love me as much as he can. I like running the bar, think of this town without it, then think of how bad Laguna is at making drinks. Someday I have no doubt we'll have children, we already have Ellone, and we are going to raise them here, there and everywhere we want to and there is nothing this little sprig of a town can do about it, so lay. off. my. husband. Crone!"   
  
Raine finished clipping every word to a fine point: game, set, match. Ending score: Mrs. Jordan 8, Laguna 8, Raine 274. And the winner is... Raine? Mrs. Jordan downed her drink and stumbled up to the door in a huff. Laguna stood there mouth agape as Raine took a glass, poured herself a shot of bourbon and downed it in one smooth motion, taking a deep breath before turning to her as of yet speechless husband.  
  
"What are YOU looking at!?"  
  
"I LOVE you" Laguna said, barely moving any part of his body other than his mouth. Raine stared him down, her face morphing from anger, to shock, then fear.  
  
"Oh. my. Hyne. I just told off Mrs. Jordan."  
  
"Did a fine job, too! Whoo boy... she won't be showing her face around here in a month"  
  
"I ... told off Mrs. Jordan. . ."  
  
"Yeah. . . Raine? You okay? Lookin' pale... oh" Laguna said, snapping out of his imobility to catch his fainted wife. The Fisherman and Laguna looked at each other and back to the limp form of Mrs. Loire before looking back at each other and breaking out in laughter as Laguna sank to the floor laughing with his wife in his arms.

* * *

"Elle? You awake?" Laguna hushedly called, walking to the side of the room where Ellone lay on her bed sniffing. As he sat on the little cot, the small girl sniffled loudly and cuddled closer to the stuffed bunny rabbit Laguna had given her for her birthday. Just as Laguna was going to tuck the covers in tighter around her, she turned to have her tear stained face shine up at her Waguna.  
  
"Awe you going away?"  
  
Taken back by the question, Laguna sat back down,  
  
"Not that I know of"  
  
"The gwown-ups say that you're gonna leave and never come back. Are you?"  
  
Taking in air, Laguna exhaled slowly, running his fingers through his hair and getting it away from his face. So that was it.  
  
"Ellone..."  
  
"I don't want you to go!" the small child cried, throwing her chubby arms around Laguna's waist and whispering,  
  
"I'll give you my bunny"  
  
Smiling, Laguna picked the tiny girl up and held her in his arms, kissing the top of her head while walking around the room as she clung.  
  
"Where are we Ellone?"  
  
"Waine's Bar"  
  
"Okay, what's this room?"  
  
"It's where Waine and I sleep"  
  
"Right, what's Winhill?"   
  
"Home"  
  
"That's right. People stay at home."  
  
"But yoo're not fwom Winhill" Ellone sobbed, rubbing her eyes on Laguna's shirt. Fighting back a few tears of his own, Laguna ruffled Ellone's hair, holding her a bit tighter as he walked her around the tiny apartment  
  
"Yoo love Waine?"  
  
"Yes, I do"  
  
"Are you gonna take Waine with yoo, too?"  
  
"Ellone, I'll make you a deal. I won't leave Winhill until you leave Winhill"  
  
"Forever and ever?"  
  
"Sure"  
  
"Pwomise?"  
  
"I guarantee it"  
  
"Waguna?"  
  
"Yep?"  
  
"What's guawantee?"  
  
"It's like a promise,"  
  
"Ooooohhhhh"  
  
"Feel better?"  
  
"Uh huh" Ellone yawned. Laguna walked her back to her bed, and let her fall and bounce a few times before tucking her in and giving her bunny to her.  
  
"Unc'l Waguna?"  
  
"Yes Elle?"  
  
"Are yoo gonna ask Waine to marry yoo?"  
  
A bit taken aback, Laguna smiled, ruffling Ellone's hair before thinking for a second,  
  
"I just might"  
  
"I hope so, she'll say yes. She looooveeess yooo"  
  
"Does she?"  
  
"Uh huh. And yoo looovve hew too."  
  
"Okay, okay. Bedtime, kiddo"  
  
"Awwwww"  
  
"Come on, think of all the fun stuff you get to dream about"  
  
"What if I don't have a dweam?"  
  
"Then I'll tell you a story tommorrow"  
  
"Guawantee it?"  
  
Laguna laughed, "Guawanteed". Ellone and Laguna shook hands, then Laguna rose off the bed and Ellone curled over to sleep.  
  
"Unc'l Laguna?"  
  
"Yes, Ellone?"  
  
"Yoo 'n Waine're gonna make gweat pawents. Goodnight"  
  
"'Night ya little munchkin. Sleep tight"   
  
Laguna grinned, as Ellone yawned and burrowed under her sheets. Hearing a sigh behind him, he turned to see Raine with her hands in her jean pockets, leaning against the stairwell. Suddenly nervous, Laguna gulped as his leg siezed up and he stood very still rubbing it with his closest hand.  
  
"She's right you know"  
  
"About what?" Laguna asked, biting his lip subconsciously as his eyes sparkled,  
  
"You're going to make a great dad"  
  
"Only if there's a great mom to tell me what to do"  
  
Raine nodded, the sexual tension in the room making speaking at all difficult.  
  
"Come down to the bar, we can talk over a drink"  
  
Laguna nodded, Raine turned to go down the stairwell but turned around when Laguna didn't follow.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I... can't move my leg" Laguna laughed pathetically, leaning his arm against the banister as Raine walked up the few steps to laugh in a hushed voice and put her forehead on Laguna's chest before reaching for his arms, grabbing his wrists and yanking him down the stairs with her to conversation, drinks, and a kiss.

* * *

"This is good scotch"  
  
"Y'think?"  
  
"Yah. 'Nother?"  
  
"Nope. All gone, Warrior Man"  
  
"Why'd'ya call me that?"  
  
""Cause y'fight, y'shoot, an I found y'in uniform"  
  
"Aahhhh"  
  
"Maybe we should get off the floor?"  
  
". . . naa, why fight gravity?"  
  
"Hahahah.. woa!" Raine yelped and laughed as she tried to get up, ending from her previous position of beside Laguna to on Laguna's lap where they sat drunk on the floor.   
  
"Here, my jacket makes a good pillow"  
  
"Thank-you-very-much Mr. Warrirrior Mister... Man."  
  
"I think yoo, R.. raine are drunk"  
  
"Right back atcha Mr. Loire"  
  
"Heheh I can play your game Miss Lionheart"  
  
"You can help me get up off the floor?"  
  
"Naaa, let's stay longer"  
  
"Can't have a hungover monster hunter tommorrow, can we?"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Mrs. Jordan'd have our collective heads for fence posts"  
  
"Why'd'ya care 'bout that old bat?"  
  
" 'Cause she knew my parrents and they told'er to take care of me if they died.. 're.. somethin... oh! Her brother's nefew's older cousin or something suchwhat was Elloone's ... dad? yeah. hic. but they liked me more and I was Ellone' Godmother, so when they did.. dod.. died, I got susterdy of 'er"  
  
"Makes sense"  
  
"What're you lookin at?"  
  
"Yer headband's crooked"  
  
"Huh?" Raine went to fix the headband, but Laguna grabbed the soft yellow crescent and chucked it across the bar and off to hit the window.  
  
"What'dya do that for?! ... Shhhh... Ellone's sleeeeping"  
  
"Ya look better without it"  
  
"I happen to like that headband"  
  
"You're the ONLY one"  
  
"Ah, shuddup" Raine went to rise again, but stumbled and tripped to straddle Laguna.  
  
"Wooaa here" Laguna picked Raine up and swung her to sit beside him, gliding his hand over her ear and hair. Raine purred.  
  
"Didya just purr?"  
  
"I happen to have sensitive ears"  
  
A crooked smile traced Laguna's face as he looked into her eyes and leaned in to lick Raine's earlobe.  
  
"Aren't you gonna regret that in the morning?" Raine said a few seconds after she re-opened her eyes.  
  
"Not like I'm goin' anywhere" Raine looked excited into his eyes,  
  
"That's the best thing you've said since... you were talkin' to Elle"  
  
"You spied on us!? EVIL!" Laguna pointed his finger at Raine's nose as she jerked her head back a bit and stared at his finger before ducking and kissing Laguna on the cheek.  
  
"I'm glad I did" she stated, raising her chin before Laguna put his arm around her shoulder, pulled her towards him and kissed her straight on the lips. After the couple disconnected, they pulled each other back up, Laguna smiled at Raine before waving and walking to the door.  
  
"I gotta sleep this off"  
  
"Yeah. Me too. Breakfast at 9"  
  
" 'Kay"  
  
" 'Kay" Raine imitated, both smiling before Raine grabbed Laguna's jacket and slumped it around his shoulders ending in both hugging each other securely, Raine's head resting on Laguna's chest as they swayed minutely. Eventually Laguna whispered,  
  
"I gotta go"  
  
"I know" none of them let go.  
  
"See you tommorrow"  
  
"Tommorrow" finally, they let go.  
  
"Raine? . . ."  
  
"Yes?" Raine asked expectantly,  
  
"I.. goodnight." Laguna said, chickening out, Raine could feel it,   
  
"Goodnight, sleep well Warrior Man"  
  
"Yeah. 'Night" Laguna looked her in the eyes, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips before he bent down to place a soft kiss on her cheek and walked out of the door to his appartment. Closing the door, Raine smiled a growing smile, sinking along the wall to sit on the floor and hug herself. He loves me. YES. 


	13. One Last Night

A/N: Some actual plot development here. Well that was a long time in coming. Enjoy. Ode to the Posse in this chapter, they play a bigger role, if you want to read more about the back-story to their relationship with Laguna, read my story Novus Ordo Saeclorum. C'mon, it won't bite. The later chapters have Laguna in them et cetera.  
  
lojik: Here's the update... it isn't very good. I've got to a crescent point in the story where I'm not exactly sure where to proceed. Oh well.  
  
Twin-Lance: I wanted a whole chapter of Laguna/Raine to balance things out, and I thought the story was getting too depressing and wanted to lighten it up. I laughed as I wrote Laguna hiding, too.   
  
Lynn-Minmay: Thanks for the heads up on chapter 11, heh. I wanted to explain more of why Mrs. Jordan hates Laguna so much. thank you :)  
  
Charm65: Had to integrate Ellone back into the story somehow. thought that was a good lead in to this chapter. Glad the Laguna/Raine bits were worth it.  
  
Arami Heartilly: yay! people like the Laguna/Raine stuff! Thanks!  
  
Jade Almasy: this chapter won't have as much, I'm going to try and get ahead on the plot this chapter, not as much pause.  
  
Karaoke Risa: Thank you. your support helps he write.

* * *

"Morning sunshine" Laguna said to a very tired and sick looking Rinoa as he sipped his coffee and read the morning paper from Deling City. Grunting what seemed to be a sort of morning greeting, Rinoa walked over to the bar and took a mug from the row of clean mugs on the counter. Right before she was about to take the coffee pot out of its holder, Laguna slapped her hand with the rolled up business section.  
  
"OW! What was that for!?" Rinoa blurted, suddenly more awake.  
  
"Caffeine's no good for pregnancies. Decaf's in the decanter on the stove"  
  
"Urg. I'm beginning to think this isn't such a great thing"  
  
"Wait until you're woken up at two in the morning for feeding and diaper duty"  
  
"Uuggghhhhh" Rinoa groaned, flumping her head down on the bartop as Laguna poured her a decaf coffee, milk & honey, stirred it around and slid it to her before patting her on the head and unrolling the business section while biting into a big green apple. Bouncing down the stairs drying his hair with a towel, Squall whistled happily to himself before he realised Laguna was peering over the business section with a funny look in his eyes, Rinoa had her head slumped over top of the sports section and looked slightly green and an elderly man sat excitedly watching everything that was transpiring with a cup of coffee and toast.  
  
"Someone's chipper this morning. Good sleep?" Laguna asked, lifting Rinoa's head and arm off the sports section and replacing it with the business section before putting her arm and head back down.  
  
"Like a baby"  
  
"Ug"  
  
"Sorry Rin."  
  
"Coffee?"   
  
"Please"  
  
"How come he gets caffeinated coffee?"  
  
" 'Cause he's not pregnant"  
  
"Lucky him, I'll trade"  
  
Squall smirked, tossing the towel in a far off laundry hamper where Ward stood with his hands on his hips before picking up the towel and placing it in the washer before re-folding the clothing Squall's towel had dislodged. Running his fingers through Rinoa's hair and giving her scalp a light massage, he kissed her forehead,  
  
"No deal"  
  
"Figures"  
  
"Here's your coffee Squall. Cream & Sugar?"  
  
"Lots of sugar"  
  
"So that's your secret" Laguna laughed, passing his son the coffee mug with lots of sugar and a spoon before sitting down to the sound of Kiros barging through the Bar door.  
  
"Laguna! Squall! Ward! Rinoa! Emergency! Now!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Urrhhh?"  
  
"... . . . .. ...?"  
  
"Outside! NOW!"  
  
Laguna threw his newspaper down as he grabbed Squall's shoulder and tugged Rinoa up as Ward barreled through the bar,  
  
"Hey! My coffee!" Squall yelped, being dragged off before he could take a sip.  
  
"Sucks to be you" Rinoa mumbled, smirking mischeiviously to herself and adequately vindicated.  
  
"I'll buy you chocolate later"  
  
"What was I saying?"  
  
"Shush, you two. Kiros, what's up?"  
  
Out the doors of Raine's Bar, a league of White SeeDs stood in formation, others securing the area.  
  
"I didn't do it" Rinoa said, turning to go back inside. Grabbing her shoulder, Squall turned her back around to face the saluting soldiers.  
  
"Aw, but I was gonna steal a sip of your coffee"  
  
"Commander Lionheart. President Loire." a well decorated White SeeD saluted, Laguna returned the salute with a wave/salute, Squall stepped up, saluted officially, reminded himself to ask Laguna to stop trying to salute and nodded.  
  
"At ease, Colonel. What's all this about?"  
  
"Sources report a Griever sighting in the area"  
  
Kiros, Ward, the townspeople, Laguna and several SeeD's looked straight at Rinoa.  
  
"I really didn't do it" Rinoa started.  
  
"Sorry, that was me!" Laguna said, stepping forward and placing a hand in the air.  
  
"Why does it matter if Griever has been sighted?" Squall asked, reminding himself to ask Hyne why his life had to be so publically complicated.  
  
"Because of what I saw last night" Ellone's voice came from the crowd of White SeeDs.  
  
"Elle... Aren't you supposed to be with Ed?"  
  
"Ed?" Rinoa and Squall looked at each other before looking a Laguna as to why the former Sorceress Edea was called Ed.  
  
"Rinoa's pregnant isn't she?" Ellone asked, stepping towards the small group as Squall massaged his temple and made yet another note to himself to become a hermit. Probably the best publicised hermit, but a hermit nonetheless. Or just hit himself over the head with a rock.  
  
"How'd you?" Rinoa started before looking up at the nauseated Squall clenching his jaw, "Aaaahhh... Okay... Damage control?"  
  
Everyone stood listening to the scene, Ellone placed some hair behind her ear and smirked to a distant throat clearing.  
  
"You really didn't think I'd let you guys handle Griever by yourselves, did you?"  
  
"Family problem?" Laguna said, immediately slapping himself, "I was gonna call you... and Ed"  
  
"As I said, we're not handling Griever by ourselves. I brought in the Cavalry"  
  
"Huh?" Laguna and Rinoa grunted as the line of White SeeDs parted for a very familiar group of teenagers.  
  
"SeeD present and accounted for, Commander"   
  
"Howdy folks"  
  
"BOOYAKA!"  
  
"Yup, we're all here! Where's the food?"  
  
"Hey, don't forget us, ya know!"  
  
"TOGETHER"  
  
"Someone had to come to save the day. Couldn't leave it to Chicken wuss"  
  
"Take it back!"  
  
"BOYS!" Fujin stepped in to Seifer's smug stance and Zell preparing to take a swing. Smirking, Seifer blew Zell a kiss before Fujin looked up and slapped Seifer.  
  
"Ow! Come on, Fuu, you know you love me"  
  
"IMMATURE!"   
  
A hushed murmur grew through the crowd as the population of Winhill watched Quistis, Irvine, Selphie, Zell, Rajin, Fujin and Seifer come up and present themselves to their shocked and dumbfounded friends. Squall yet again, went pale.  
  
"What is this?" Squall finally asked, looking back and forth in the crowd of his friends while unconsciously hugging Rinoa closer to him.  
  
"An intervention." Ellone said as Quistis stepped forward, saluted and took a folder from one of the accompanying White SeeDs.  
  
"Ellone told us of the situation with Griever and we've taken the liberty of creating several action plans for your concideration. Plus, without Rinoa pulling pranks on the magic classes we simply didn't have anything better to do"  
  
Rinoa nodded and grinned as she reached up and hugged the blonde SeeD.  
  
"Thanks for coming"  
  
"As Sir Laguna said, it's family business. We're family"  
  
"Yeah. Or something like that" Seifer said, he Fujin and Rajin walked over to a surprised but happy Laguna. Offering a handshake, Seifer tensed as Laguna hugged him before realising the entire population of Winhill was watching,  
  
"Oops.. sorry Seifer. It's good to see you, but why did you come?"  
  
"Ellone was at Esthar ya know and so we sorta... uhh... yeah, ya know Elle ya know. Family, ya know... heh sounding like Fuu... I mean..." Rajin stuttered as Seifer stepped in.  
  
"We weren't about to leave something this important up to Squall's little buddies as strong as they may be, you need us, so we're here"  
  
"STAYING"  
  
"Thanks. But you know you're grounded when we get back to Esthar" Kiros said, walking up and shaking Rajin's mammoth hand. The Posse nodded, Rajin shrugging his shoulders, as the rest of the team finished up their greetings with Squall and Rinoa.   
  
Moving inside the Bar, enough room had been cleared away by the White SeeDs so everyone who needed to sit could. Squall sat with Rinoa on his lap, beside Laguna, Kiros and Ward behind the bar on stools. Ellone sat facing Squall and Rinoa, with Quistis, Rajin and Zell on the other side of the bar, with Irvine and Selphie lounging at a table as Seifer and Fujin sat in the corner beside Irvine and Selphie with a perfect view of the entire surroundings and all the exits. White SeeDs and Colonel Bricks as he was introduced guarded the entire villiage, Bar and general area. Ellone cleared her throat,  
  
"For the past two weeks there has been a shift in the magical energies of the world. I began feeling Griever's increased involvement when I was with Edea, she felt it too so we stayed and tried to find out what was going on. A few days later Cid told us Squall and Rinoa had gone to Esthar on a visit. Giving a message to Quistis at Garden, I packed up and left with the White SeeDs to Esthar, where we met up with Seifer, Fujin and Rajin in the Presidential Palace and they told me Laguna had left the day before, I took the Posse with me and we went to Balamb, picked up Quistis, Irvine, Selphie and Zell and here we are. Griever's acting up, Rinoa's pregnant and Ciel visited my dreams last night, we're all here Laguna, what are we going to do about it?"

* * *

"Hey"  
  
"Hey"  
  
"It wasn't your fault"  
  
"Tell Ellone that"  
  
"Laguna, it wasn't your fault"  
  
"What do I do here?"  
  
"Hunt monsters"  
  
"What were those?"  
  
"Estharian monsters?"  
  
"Exactly. It was my job to protect this town and I blew it. Now Ellone's gone, Kiros is calling Ward in and half the town needs rebuilding! I sure did one hell of a good job! I couldn't even save a little girl!"  
  
"You saved the town"  
  
"Griever saved Winhill. I just stood in the way"   
  
Laguna rose off the creaky dock to face a discheviled Raine staring back at him with teary eyes. Reaching up to him, Raine wrenched her husband down to her level, growling into a deep, earthy kiss as they devoured each other before slopily disconnecting as Raine slid her leg down and grabbed Laguna's face and forced him to look in her stormy grey eyes.  
  
"I have seen heaven. I have hung on death. Now I can say I know what hell looks and feels like. I don't want to lose you. I don't want to lose Elle either. I keep praying that Hyne won't take you two away from me, but all I can be certain of is that I love you, Laguna Loire. And if I could have given myself "  
  
"No" Laguna interrupted, Raine shushed him with a finger,  
  
"If I could have given myself so you and Ellone would be safe and happy I would, but we both know I can't do that. I'm not a fighter, or smart or anything."  
  
"Raine"  
  
"Laguna, she's out there, probably scared out of her mind that the monsters got her. All Elle knows to do right now is wait for her Uncle Laguna to come rescue her. You can't let her down. She needs you more than I do"  
  
Falling to their knees on the dock, Laguna took Raine's hands in his.  
  
"I know. I know, but Raine, she's gone. Gone. No one knows what Esthar looks like let alone find a four year old in a country ruled by an insane Sorceress. You saw how I got taken down, you saw how useless I was in trying to save Ellone in the first place, what am I supposed to do?"  
  
"Try"  
  
"Yeah, but after that. I'm gonna need a plan"  
  
"Bring Kiros, he's the only plan you'll need"   
  
"Come with me"  
  
"I'd never make it."  
  
"Ra.."  
  
"I should have died, but I didn't. We both know that I'm still not strong enough. You have to go save Ellone"  
  
"I don't want to lose you"  
  
"Not even death could stand in our way. What makes you think an insane sorceress and a country full of powerful monsters will, Warrior Man?"   
  
Laguna and Raine shared an uneasy smirk.  
  
"I love you Raine"  
  
"I know"  
  
"I really really love you, Raine"  
  
"Enough to let me go?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Laguna... what if one of us doesn't make it?"  
  
"That's not gonna happen"  
  
"But what if"  
  
"It's not gonna happen, Raine. We are all going to make it through this. You, me and Elle, we're gonna be a family again. The three of us. Heck, even Kiros! I'm gonna get her back, even if I have to take on the world, I'll get her back, I promise."  
  
Raine cuddled her head into the hollow between Laguna's shoulder and chin, wrapping her arms around his neck. Holding his wife close to his chest, Laguna kissed her hair, taking a precious moment to smell the herbal scent. Tommorrow he would go. Tonight ... one last night.  



	14. Driven by Hope & Fear

A/N Incredibly long wait, sorry! School, and stuff like that, university can be a real btch. Story's almost done, really I mean it

verdiani: late reviews, late updates. . . heh just kidding, I guess all that matters is FINISHING this story.

Arami Heartilly: This is going to another two chapters, that's where this is going. Well, story-wise I'm not entirely certain, except it'll be an ending for the books

. . . : So did I! So I wrote one :)

Karaoke Risa: Thanks for the compliment, I hope your emotions take a good turn.

Charm65: best one so far? I like that. Thanks, Charm65

Lynn-Minmay: How could I not have the posse step in? I mean, it is ME after all. :)

Twin-Lance: Lee, you are my muse would send hugs, but a couple of cracked ribs and extreme pain are preventing me. I wanted Squall to feel a bit more real, like an actual guy who, for all things concerned, is beginning to feel better about life and everything else. at least for a minute. Yeah, I tend to drag things out this fic is proof of that and it's sad, really I can't just finish things, but the Laguna/Raine scene at the end felt right. It just did.

* * *

"Okay. . . and plan b?" Laguna said looking over the prospective plan of attack Quistis drew up.  
  
"We run like hell to the White SeeDs and call Eden and Bahamut"  
  
"Are you out of your mind?" Squall said, breaking his silence, "Not happening. We'd better think of a new plan and fast"  
  
"Rinoa won't be in any danger"  
  
"How can you be sure? She's not a Lionheart"  
  
"No, but she's carrying one" Laguna said, rubbing his chin and letting the plan haphazardly fall to the bartop.  
  
"I thought you were on my side!?" Squall said, spinning around as Seifer began to speak,  
  
"Listen, Squall. Griever won't hurt wings. He can't. Not until Squall Jr. is screaming at the world"  
  
"I don't wanna hear it Seifer!"  
  
"Well sorry Commander High and Mighty, but that's the best we can do"  
  
"Then leave!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Why!!"  
  
"Because Ellone asked for our help! You don't seem to get it, do you!? We gave up our freedom to come help you! The least you could do is stop with the bullshit and take a logical look at what Trepe and Elle are proposing here"  
  
"Advice from Judas"  
  
"Squall!" Rinoa yelled, "Hello! Rinoa here, yeah, the one you're bickering over? Right here! Ever thought of asking what I think about this?"  
  
All eyes on Rinoa, the room fell eerily calm as Fujin pulled Seifer back down to his chair, whispering quiet assurances in his ear as Squall stood beside Rinoa fuming.  
  
"Okay then, now that I have your attention, I think this plan can actually work"  
  
"Rin"  
  
"Nuh uh, Squall. Lemme finish. I'm not thrilled with the whole idea either, but what else can we do? I think. . . the more time I spend in Winhill the more I know that reuniting Ciel with everybody is what Raine wanted. In her dying breaths she wanted it. She wanted Ciel to know the world and it's about time we honour that. Squall, Ciel is the last piece of Raine we have left. Now that we actually have the choice of chasing the monsters again, will we? Laguna did. He got Ellone back. Yes there probably will be a sacrifice, but think of what we're here for. Maybe it is for death, but I doubt it. Hyne is fair, but she has to follow the rules she set up. Otherwise she'd be no better than Griever."  
  
"Well said, my child"  
  
"Eddie!" Laguna greeted, standing up to leap over the bar and give his sister-in-law a hug. With a short chuckle, Edea Kramer patted Laguna on the back, before turning to adress the group.

* * *

Dear Laguna,  
My hands are shaking. As you can guess I am barely holding onto my pen. I saw Griever today. I was out in the field watching the Chocobos play. It was always something we loved to take Ellone to, but this time I was alone, and there was a lot of breathing and rustling coming through the trees. I thought it was just another Chocobo until it charged, and . . and I don't remember much more than getting knocked over by a huge molten wall of air until being plastered against the grass by something a bit more familiar. Griever came to save me and it was as horrid as the first time. Maybe worse. No, it was worse, because I didn't have anyone to worry about other than myself and the twins. Yes, you read right, Laguna, we're having twins. Twins! I want them to have weather names, just in case. I know you tell me not to worry, but I do anyways. All the time. I wish I had gone with you, but I never would have made it. You know that. I hoe you get this letter, although I have a feeling you've already left where I'm sending it to. Three came back last week, and I'm getting your letters and the cheques from Timber Maniacs. Everything will be alright. Please let everything be alright. Tell Elle I love her. Please. I hope you come home soon. Please, I need you.  
  
Love, Raine

* * *

"She loved you more than anything"  
  
"Yeah. Me too"  
  
"She wanted this"  
  
"I want to hold her again"  
  
"Ciel?"  
  
"Raine."  
  
"I know. I want to see her, too"  
  
"I was her husband, Edea. I loved her more. . . I was ready to give up everything I ever dreamed about to live in this dink of a town for her. EVERYTHING!" Laguna threw the glass to the ground and it went shattering to pieces against the cobblestone of the porch. Taking sobbing wretches of breaths Laguna let his eyes water as Edea knelt and sat beside him on the step just . . . staring at him with those big, dark, dangerously gentle eyes. It was all Laguna could do to breathe.  
  
"I want her back"  
  
"I know"  
  
"I want her"  
  
"Do you regret chasing after Ellone?" Edea asked, slinking a feminine arm over Laguna's heaving shoulders.  
  
". . . Sometimes, but then I just have to look at Ellone and I feel happy all over again. Squall. He's so like Raine in so many ways. He reminds me of her so much more than Ellone does. Ellone will always be that little girl, but Squall: he's Raine's SON. Our SON, and I hate it. I hate that I couldn't just be selfish and leave Esthar to the fallout of Adel and take Squall and Ellone to Winhill again, I hate that I had to watch him grow up without him knowing I was his father, or that I was even there, but the thing I hate the most is the anger Squall has, the bitter, tortured personality he conjured all because of me. Life would have been so much better for Raine without me. She wouldn't have died if it wasn't for me. It's all my fault, Ed. Just like Griever said, it's all.. my fault"  
  
Edea sat back, watching the wretch of a man that sat beside her. He should have been a king. This wandering warrior who was dumped at Raine's door by an overflowing river had the fate of worlds in his hands and he hated himself for it. In all her wanderings and her days, Edea had never seen a man so destined for something much greater than most people will imagine. The balance of all things was held in his hands, he had one more weight to either add or take away.  
  
"What do you want to do?"  
  
"I want to see Squall happy"  
  
"What else?"  
  
"I want to hold my daughter again"  
  
"Then do it"  
  
"There are too many risks"  
  
"Not for you"  
  
"For everyone else! I can't risk any more lives! Not again! I did it with Raine, Ellone, Kiros, Ward, Esthar, Squall! Who else? Oh, you! I can't, Eddie, I just can't be the one who gives the order for someone else to die"  
  
"If you do not, Squall will."  
  
"He's the soldier"  
  
"He's 19 in a day. You have seen him, do you want another weight to fall on his shoulders? It will break him"  
  
"I know"  
  
"Then"  
  
". . . I'll do it. I just. . why does someone always have to die?"  
  
"Why do some always have to live?"  
  
". . . You mean Raine don't you"  
  
"All she wanted was to love and die in peace. She got that."  
  
"There was no peace in her death"  
  
"Her body had given up. She had nothing left to fight with. Everything she had was put into birthing the twins. Would you have had her linger?"  
  
"Can you just tell me what the moral of your story is?"  
  
"Her death was a mercy"  
  
"No"  
  
"Laguna, she lived, she loved, she gave everything to you. Are you going to still be selfish and say no to the last thing she had left to give you?"  
  
"Stopit"  
  
"Are you going to let Ciel wither away like Raine would have?"  
  
"It's not LIKE that"  
  
"It is and you know it. Ciel didn't kill Raine"  
  
"Having her did"  
  
"Raine was dead long before they came"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Laguna, you can't have Raine back"  
  
"I know!"  
  
"You can have Ciel"  
  
"Some consolation"  
  
"It should be"  
  
". . . I know. I KNOW! I must sound horrible, I know Ciel's everything I have left of Raine, but can't I just be selfish?"  
  
"You sound like Squall"  
  
"I am his father"  
  
"You will be fine, all of us will get through this, and Ciel will be rescued from Griever"  
  
"Maybe it's not Ciel who needs the rescuing"  
  
"We have a better chance with this plan than Squall did with Ultimecia"  
  
"Skin of our teeth, great."  
"Achem. If you two are done moping, I think I can do something to help, here"  
  
Laguna and Edea looked up to see Mrs. Jordan standing with her hands on her hips and a hankie in her hand.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"I know Ellone's gifted. I seen her do it, and don't tell me different"  
  
"Okay, what's your point?" Laguna asked, wringing his hands.  
  
"She has to use somebody who was there to send people back, right?"  
  
"Yeah. . . and there's no one left. . "  
  
"Don't be too sure, Mr. Loire. You're looking at the midwife"  
  
Realitization grazed Laguna's face as he stood with Edea at his side.  
  
"Ellone!! Squall!!" he shouted, running into the house where everyone was preparing a last battle.  
  
"Well, if that don't beat all hosp. . ."  
  
Running back out, Laguna lept and wrapped his arms around Mrs. Jordan, giving her a big kiss on the cheek before swinging her around,  
  
"Thank you!! thank you thank you thank you!!! Elle!!! Stop. . . EvERYTHING!"  
  
After Laguna left to scramble up the troops and the new plan, Mrs. Jordan just stood there, Edea beside her.  
  
"He just. . . said the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me"  
  
"Laguna can be like that"  
  
"You know, I think everything's gonna turn out just fine."  
  
"Mrs. Jordan? I have a feeling you're right"  
  
"Huh. What a day"

* * *

"Please! Listen to me! Don't hurt them, please!"  
  
"I have no choice"  
  
"Yes you do!"  
  
"Silence!"  
  
"Or you'll what? Send me to my room?"  
  
"Ciel, I saved you for a purpose, I will not give that purpose up"  
  
"Plans change, they want me back, why not let them?"  
  
"You are mine!"  
  
"Not anymore"  
  
"Ciel, I gave you life"  
  
"And I thank you for it, but I'm not a doll or a pet, I'm supposed to be your master, not the other way around"  
  
"What are you saying?"  
  
"I'm saying you can adequately protect all of us if I'm down in the world"  
  
"That is impossible"  
  
"They may have found a way"  
  
"Ciel"  
  
"Griever, let me go"  
  
Bowing his magnificent head down low, Griever sighed thick and pulsing with a weary voice.  
  
"As you wish"  
  
"Thank you" Ciel whispered, reaching up to the Guardian's furred face, gingerly letting herpalm and fingers run across his cheek and up to his forehead and the crest of hair below his red crown. Purring, Griever shivered once, as Ciel smiled broadly.  
  
"Everything will work for the best, I promise"  
  
"Never forget"  
  
"I won't"  
  
"You are a Queen, Ciel Lionheart, you shall rule the world"  
  
"What if I don't want to?"  
  
"You will always rule me"  
  
"I'll miss you"  
  
"Ask and I will be there"  
  
"Squall has the ring"  
  
"I will make you a crown"  
  
"A little one"  
  
"To match your beauty"  
  
". . . I'm scared"  
  
"Let fear drive you"  
  
"I'm still scared"  
  
Griever grunted softly, taking the young woman into his arms like a father to a child, comforting her in the knowledge that all the immense weight of grief and sadness in the history of the world would be taken off her shoulders, onto his. As time crawled, they waited for what?  
  
They hoped they knew. 


	15. Not with a bang but a whimper: Squall

A/N: Forever. It's been forever. No excuses, simply got caught on other fics. Okay, so here's the first of the last chapters, it's a two part, this one focusing on Squall, our stalwart teenage hero guy, and the next to focus on Rinoa, princess-gal extrordinaire and lover of Squall. Enjoy.

Verdanii; Arami Heartilly; Twin-Lance; Charm65: finally, guys. Just ya, thanks for the reviews, and saying so much. Hopefully I do not dissapoint.

* * *

"Okay, so what here is the new plan?" Irvine Kinneas asked, scratching his long locks of hair under his tan cowboy hat. Selphie huffed beside him, they had been at this all day. 

"It's like this: We all know Elle's power to send people into the past, right?"

"But Ellone can't change the past, we'd be back to where we started" Squall blurted, letting his hands fall to his side. Everyone went quiet.

"We aren't going to change the past."

"Then wha..."

"Griever is an ETERNAL guardian. He exists in all times at once, if we can travel back into Mrs. Jordan's mind to the last minutes of Raine's life, and the first minutes of Squall's, then we can shift into Griever's plane, release Ciel and wake up the next morning with one hell of a headache." Laguna said, pumping his arm up and down.

"How will we know it worked?" a White SeeD captain asked from the back row of Raine's Bar.

"That. . . I don't know" President Loire admitted, a little crestfallen.

"Now that's settled, let's decide on parties. Squall and Mrs. Jordan will have to stay here. . ."

"Woa, hey, if anyone's going, it'll be me!" Squall barked, standing with his authoritative glare.

Standing, Quistis ordered, "No, Squall. You can't come"

"Why not? It's MY family!"

"Exactly!" as the room watched the altercation, Rinoa went to stand with Squall.

"You, Rinoa and Edea have to stay in this plane, because if Griever were to have all of the Lionheart line in the same place at the same time, that would spell disaster. Rinoa, we'll have to use you and Edea as anchors, so none of us get lost in time compression. That leaves Mrs. Jordan as the only one who was there to be able to guide us through the actual events. Mrs. Jordan, are you absolutely certain you want to do this?" Quistis asked, placing a gloved hand on the elderly woman's shoulder. Mrs. Jordan slapped it off.

"Listen you blonde tart, I watched Raine live and I watched her die, there is nothing left in this town or this old woman to give except the help you buggers need. Face it, you need me and that's fine by this old biddy" Mrs. Jordan said with a nod. Blinking a few times, Quistis shut her mouth and turned to the rest of the people.

"I'm going to need someone down here to keep me from fading into another plane, Irvine, can I count on you?" Ellone asked, receiving a nod from the cowboy.

"Alrighty boys and girls, the rest of us will group into to parties: Mrs. Jordan, Quistis, Selphie and Zell in one party, under the watch of Edea. Myself, Rajin, Fujin and Seifer will go as the next party. Rinoa, I need to know you can handle this, pregnant and all" Laguna said, eyeing the slight bulge in Rinoa's stomach.

"Is there any other option?" Rinoa asked sarchastically.

"Eddie, if Rinoa can't handle it, can you take on all eight of us?" Laguna said, pointing both fingers at his sister in law.

"Yes. But I will need time to prepare." Edea said, tossing her long black hair to her back.

"Then I suggest you and Rinoa do what you have to do to get ready. You too, Elle. The rest of you, prepare as you see fit. Junction your strongest GF's and think happy thoughts, we'll get through this all or nothing"

Waiting for the rest of the people to vacate, Rinoa thought she heard a whisper,

"There is another way" it said, calling her, coaxing her as she knew already what the voice wanted and where it came from. Nodding, Rinoa let her hand drift to her stomach. Okay.

* * *

"They are foolish" 

"How so?"

"The Sorceress knows all magic has a price. Someone will have to die or be taken"

"Is there no other way?"

"None"

". . . I think she knows" Ciel said, looking from Rinoa to Mrs. Jordan. She sighed.

* * *

"Squall?" 

The boy sniffed, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. Great, just what he needed, his absentee father catching him cry. . . It's happened before. . . Shut up brain.

"Squall, everyone's pretty much ready to go. We need ya, buddy"

"I know what you're thinking"

"Heh. Right" Squall scoffed, turning to face the endlessly green field peppered with tiny wildflowers. His mother's favourite place.

"No, seriously. I mean, how could this all magically work, right? How, after all the suffering and hardness can everything just . . ."

"Turn out perfect."

"Yeah. . . You aren't the only one to have suffered, Squall, and I'll be damned to Bahamut if I'm going to let you be the only one to suffer more" Laguna said, taking a seat beside his son. He looked so frail as Laguna eyed his son, so powerless, so. . . small. Nobody should ever feel small.

"Not like you can stop pain"

"No, but I can stop you"

"Huh?"

"You're just a kid, Squall. In a few hours, it'll be your birthday. You're just a teenager"

"Yeah, a teenager who saved the world"

"And one that'll do it again"

"What if. . . nevermind"

"No, tell me. What if . . ."

"Whatever" Squall shifted, like he was about to stand, but Laguna took his arm and wrenched it, and his son along with it, back down to the soggy grass.

"Squall! We've been through this! Tell me!"

"What if this is it? What if I grew up, we all grew up just to defeat Ultimecia then die? What more is there? What am I supposed to DO now? What's left for the soldier who killed a whole... lot of. . . oh hyne. . . oh god, I. . . those men. All those men were people, they had families like me, they were just fighting for whatever side fate shoved them! I can see them, Dad! I can see them every time I close my eyes! The monsters are easy, they had it coming, but the men. The Galbadian and Garden Faculty MEN! I killed them! I'm a murderer! What else could be coming for me but a painful, horrific death! Like all those MEN!"

Squall screamed. It was gutteral and fierce, leaving the young man to crumble down into the soft earth, his gloves knawing spots of soil from their leafy green impediment, getting his face muddy from the dirt. Reaching down, Laguna cradled the youth in his arms as Squall sobbed. Tears staining his own face, Laguna tried to comfort the boy who grew up much, much too fast.

"Hey! Hey, easy, easy. . Shh, Squall, shh, it was never supposed to be this way. Never!"

Gasping, Squall grabbed onto his father's forearms as he rubbed his eyes hard enough to turn his face red.

"I . . . why did I have to kill them?"

"War is. . . awful. It carries off the dead and the living, and there's nothing anyone can do but fight or be . . . swept away"

"Or left behind"

"Yeah. I don't want you to go. . ."

"I know."

"Lemme finish. I don't want you to go, because out of all your friends and the people at Garden, you, Squall, were the most affected from the whole damn thing. You're done with fighting"

"There'll always be wars"

"But you don't have to fight them"

"I've gotta run Garden. I'm the one who has to tell all of us to go and die"

"Not anymore"

"What?" Squall asked, looking up at his father while wiping his jacket off.

"I'm petitioning Cid, I don't care about your 'born leader' skills, you need a break. I'm asking Cid to retake control of Garden, at least until you're old enough to truely want this, plus. You and Rinoa need some time to I dunno, do something about what's happening in your lives"

"I spent . . . all my known life with Garden, training to be a SeeD. What makes you think I want to give it all up?"

"You don't fit there, Squall. You've tried too hard, gone too far too soon, and seen more than I ever could think about"

"You were a soldier"

"I had a gun. It's a lot cleaner than a gunblade, a little blood spatter is nothing compared to cleaving a man in two"

"Don't remind me"

"I'm still your father, like it or not. Whatever happens, no more useless wars. If you're going to fight for something, let it be a battle of your choosing, let it involve something so important to you that you'd be willing to die for it. The people who hire Garden are too cowardly to think of dying themselves, and they either are in such a hopeless situation that there's no way it's worth SeeD's time, or they don't believe in the cause enough to make it worth your lives."

"So. . . you think SeeD, Garden, they're all worthless"

"Cid created Garden to fight the Sorceress. She's gone, SeeD's purpose is fulfilled. It's time to make a new destiny. One with less carnage, less warfare. There may come a time when SeeD's abilities are rightfully needed, and then fighting is justified, but it's not now. And no kid should ever be forced willing or not to fight and kill. Whatever happens when the sun goes down, I love you, Squall. I would have died for you and your mother. . . and if the situation calls for a sacrifice that large, I won't hesitate. That's my choice. And I'm old enough to make it. You asked me what happens after and I'm not completely sure. For me there's never been an 'after', just a continuation. Life's greatest secret is it's greatest oxymoron. Ya just gotta keep on keeping on. That's it. The great mystery revealed before your tear stained eyes. You just gotta let the things you can do nothing more about go, and take everything else in with the eyes of someone who'll do what they can, and help the people around them with anything they have. It's called life. Have fun. Yeah, it scares the hell outa people, me included; but that's part of it. You don't know how to handle Rinoa being pregnant, leading Garden and being a teenager, so maybe I could help with Garden, that's a big weight on such young shoulders, but think about this: if you had known when you were twelve that you'd be fighting a big-ass sorceress and winning a hugely destructive war, what would you have done?"

"Ran to my dorm and hid under the covers of my bed"

"Exactly. That's why in Hyne's massive will we can't see the future, and those who say they can are either wack jobs or really depressed. You would have run away years ago, but you didn't. By the time you needed whatever courage and skills you needed, they were there. Wait a few months, maybe now you are scared, don't know how to handle it, but maybe that's the point. Maybe, and this is one of those 'think about it I know from experience' kinda maybes, you'll learn or discover everything you need for that one specific moment in the future when you'll really need it. I mean, what can your brain do with everything your life'll hold right at this present moment? It'd fry. Live by the days, make everything count. Every breath, every moment, and when you lay your head down on those soft feather pillows, regret nothing. You can always fix things, and the things you can't fix were never meant to be anything but broken in the first place. C'mon, kiddo. Everybody's itching for the sun to go down, let's get through tonight and in the morning things'll look brighter. No matter what."

Helping his son stand, Laguna began walking towards Raine's bar as Kiros and Ward met up with him and walked alongside. Turning, Squall saw Seifer standing in the shadows of a large tree, his gunblade perched on the ground, handle up, his palms on top.

"He's right, y'know. Both of us? Grew too fast. Spent the rest of the time trying to dumb down when we realised we don't fit. Hey, don't let Rin see ya with all that mud on your face. Here" offering Squall a hankie, Seifer stepped further out of the shadows. Not knowing what to do, but finding denial pointless, Squall took the square piece of fabric and wiped off his face.

"President Loire helped me 'n. . . well let's just say he saved our lives when everybody wanted our heads and choice other things. I will never let anything happen to him as long as I can stand against it. What'ya say achem Commander? We gonna do this?"

"Why did he have to sound like he was saying goodbye?" Squall muttered, massaging the back of his neck with his hands.

"Time does wierd things to people. So does standing on the edge of something. . . He's coming back, Squall. I'll make 'im"

Feeling oddly less aggitated, Squall nodded. Things were by no means fixed with him and Seifer, but at least there was something. In a strange way, Squall knew that out of everyone in the world, Seifer may be the only person to understand. They were a like breed.

". . . Seifer"  
". . Yeah?"

"You did alright. . . You'n Fujin. and Rajin, you're all . . good"

Receiving a nod, Squall let out a breath, wiping the dust off his clothes before nodding back and walking towards the Bar. Jumping out of the tree a few seconds later, Fujin rested her head against her lover's shoulder, sighing as he wrapped an arm round her waist and kissed the top of her head.

"BETTER?" the enigmatic platinum haired beauty asked, looking into Seifer's face with her gaze.

Seifer let out a long breath.

"Much"

* * *

"Why is it that for someone who hates being around people I can never get you alone?" 

Squall jumped and yelled, swerving to face the direction of the sound, Gunblade drawn. He swiftly let it drop.

"Hello Squall" in front of him was the shade of Ciel, her brown hair caught in a gentle wind he didn't feel, eyes shining with a light he never knew, dress folding and drifting as in a breeze. Shocked, Squall's mouth pried open as he faced his twin for the very first time. Beneath her eye was agelessness, yet something familiar as well: life. Knowledge. Tears. Fears and dreads, and memories and sights and sounds that grew into his soul with each moment from the day of their birth. Reaching up his hand, Squall held his gloved palm to the mirror between the worlds, echoed by the girl who looked everything like her brother, yet utterly and definately different.

"You're my sister" Squall whispered, the shock morphing to amazement.

"That's right. . I know what you're thinking"

"What would that be?"

"This is so wierd. Y'know, I never wanted anybody to get hurt. . . . . . Why did Griever choose me?"

"You're the girl"

"Glad you noticed"

"Hah. . . Always wanted a twin." Squall said wistfully, looking nervous at the figure of the girl less than two feet away.

"Me too. Except I knew I had a twin, so that doesn't count. I've been watching you" Ciel said, sitting on the ground to hug her knees.

"Great, my sister's a stalker" Squall quipped, lounging on the ground similar to Ciel.

"When there's nothing better to do than try and pry Ifrit and Shiva from slapping each other, yeah. I'd say watching you and the other kids grow up was a lot more entertaining."

"Must've been torture."

"It was." the girl said, her voice suddenly so small.

"Why couldn't you contact us earlier?"

"There were no other Lionheart heirs earlier"

"Guess I've made quite the mess of things, huh?"

"Actually, you're the one who fixed them" Ciel said, giving her brother a sad sort of half smile.

"I miss you." Squall whispered, letting his gloved fingers drag along the magickal barrier between them.

"I know. . . how's Zell?"

". . . Zell?" Squall quieried, looking at his sister as if she had grown another three arms from her ears.

"Yeah, the hot blonde with the tattoo. How's he taking this? He's stronger than you think. Sweet and sensitive too, but definately stronger".

"Cute. . . My twin has a crush on Zell? This is officially my worst nightmare"

"No it's not"

"You're a dream-stalker, too?"

"We don't sleep"

"Anything you don't know?" Squall asked, scooping his hair back on his forehead and letting it fall.

"Yeah" she said, putting her head on her knees.

"You too, huh?"

"I don't think anyone knows how this'll turn out. Except Griever and . . ."

"Whatever"

"You only say that when you don't want people to see what you feel"

"I wish I knew.. . "

"No you don't. You wish you were alone in mom's bar getting drunk off whiskey"

"Yeah"

"Definately doable." the twins smiled at each other, giving off a few seconds of nervous laughter.

"Happy Birthday, Ciel."

Smiling, Ciel viewed her brother sideways,

"Happy Birthday Squall. Hey, when this is over, you wanna play hookey in Balamb? I've always wanted to swim in real water"

"Sure. . . I guess I'd better get back to the Bar. Everybody'll be waiting for me"

"Not exactly. . . " Ciel quivered with a guilty look on her face and a sudden fascination in the blades of grass beside Squall's boots.

"What do y. . . " suddenly getting the picture, Squall jumped up,

"It's already begun, hasn't it? HASN'T IT!" the teen yelled, barreling past his sister's form and booting it to the bar. Ciel sighed, thrusting up her hands to magically bar her brother's way

"There's nothing we can do, Squall! It was her choice!"

"HER choice! What are you. .. no. No. NO! Rinoa!" Squall screamed, getting a sinking feeling he knew exactly what was transpiring. Clawing his way to the ground, he seethed.

"Does anyone else know?"

"They're watching it now. Something went wrong, . . all I know is that Griever flung me over to find you, make sure you're okay. I'm sorry"

Ciel moved to stand behind her brother, leaning out as if to touch him, except he turned and slapped her hand away.

"OW!"

"I thought you couldn't. . . Ciel, you have a shadow"

Holding her arm, the girl whimpered, looking at her shadow on the grass. Suddenly the world was spinning, her feet touched the ground, and the breeze enlivening her hair and unnatural glow faded quickly. Gasping for air, Ciel fell forward, caught in her brother's arms.

"Ciel? Ciel?" Squall said, falling to the ground with his twin, laying her in his arms as her body quivered and shook.

"I can feel you. Squall, I .. . I'm . . cold."

"What can you see?" Squall asked, lifting his sister and himself up.

"Nothing! Squall, Griever's gone dark, it feels like. . . "

"Squall! SQUALL!" both turned to the direction of the sound, as Zell came sprinting up the hill.

"WOA! Ciel I presume" Zell gasped, doubling over to catch his breath. When Squall tried to question him, Zell raised a hand to quiet his commander as he gulped in air. Finally standing tall, Zell looked between sister and brother with a look of relief and worry all at the same time.

"Well?" Ciel asked, coaxing on the blonde fighter.

"Yeah, Squall, you need to get to Raine's Bar now. It's Rinoa. . she's. . I'm sorry dude. There was nothing we could do. . She's fine, Rinoa's alive, but . . well. . I think you have to go see for yourself. NOW. I'll bring Ciel, but you need to run. Go!"

Passing off his sister to Zell, Squall's face coated itself with a thick layer of worry, as he sprinted in the direction of Winhill's most famous eating establishment. Watching her brother go, Ciel leaned heavily on Zell, before looking at the youthful face of her would-be rescuer.

"Hi. Is.. is Rinoa going to" she said, her voice shaking as she tried to stand firm.

"Rinoa? She'll be okay. Been through worse, but . . man I don't know. I wish someone would tell me what's going on. Don't suppose you know much more?" Zell said, looking almost hopeful at the brunette at his side. Ciel shook her head, testing a leg as it gave out and she would have slipped if not for Zell's quick hand on her waist.

"You okay? Lookin' a little unsteady" breathing deeply, both people looked into each other's eyes.

". . . I remember you" Zell gulped, "I . . I mean. . you're familiar, I mean, I guess Squall's twin should. . I . . forget it, kay?"

"Zell, Iknow you. You're my favourite" Ciel said, letting her nose bury itself into Zell's shoulder, smelling his jacket.

"Favourite scent?"

"Person" Ciel giggled, making them both smile despite themselves.

"Hey, that's . . kinda cool. . " Zell mumbled, raising an arm to rub the back of his head, forgetting about Ciel's grip on gravity as she cried out, falling to the ground.

"Woa! Sorry. . . can you walk?" Zell bumbled, picking the girl up entirely and carrying her in his arms.

"I'm a little stiff. . gimme a minute" Ciel murmered, gripping Zell's neck tighter as she flexed her toes.

"Fine by me" Zell whispered.

"Me too" Ciel breathed, "Maybe we should. . "

"Uh. Yeah. We need to. . "

"Get to the Bar"

"Yeah"

". . . Zell?"

"Yeah?"

"You can put me down now. I think I'll do okay"

"Yeah, right, uhmm. Here" the two bumbled and mumbled their way through the path towards Raine's Bar. Ciel stumbled a bit, but Zell was always at her side, picking her up as they got to the place. . . Hyne.


	16. The Whimper: Rinoa

A/N: Okay, here's the second part of the previous chapter, and yes, it has been too long since I posted it. So much has happened, however, that it could not be avoided. Enjoy, and there's only a chapter to go. Hurrah! Thank you for reading.

* * *

Rinoa sat in the make-shift bedroom, meditating five inches off the floor. This stunt was going to take all of her strength, and she had to be prepared for it. Concentrating her Sorceress power into a healing, relaxing aura, Rinoa felt the presence of her unborn child deep within her. Smiling to herself, she worked on folding layers of protection around the fetus, lavishing love, comfort and inspiration to grow on the little one. Turning her thoughts away, Rinoa felt a deep seeded gravity pulling and ripping into her meditative bubble. A red aura began bleeding through her blue, tainting and tormenting the fabric of her meditation. Flinging a protective layer around herself, she recognised the spectre: Griever.

"Lion-love. We must parlay" the Guardian said, crackling with such a powerful, tangible energy Rinoa thought she would be swept away. Without notice, Griever wrapped her into his enormous arms, carrying her and her child past her bubble and out towards the nether realm beyond the greying sky. She felt sick, resisting the urge to writhe away into nothingness.

"Why have you brought me here, Griever?" Rinoa asked, a weakened threat in her voice. Letting go, Griever floated so his massive face swept down to her eyes. His breath was hot, like burning coals scarring the area around his snout with charred smoke.

"You are of little significance to me, Lion-love. Carrying the next Lionheart will not save you. I act in the best interest of the Lionhearts only, remember that, Sorceress"

"I have the ring" Rinoa said, her voice conciderably shaken at the hate in Griever's proclaimation. Blown back by the force of his wings, Rinoa threw a protection spell around herself and her child. Griever laughed, his voice sick, polluting, and futile.

"That ring means nothing in your hands." he said, growing more and more massively threatening. Throwing his clawed arm up, Griever thrust the two of them into a vortex of time.

"What are you doing?"

"Ciel's time with me is ending. Reguardless, there must be a Lionheart under my guard. I brought you to this place to teach you of the way things should be. Tell me, Sorceress, what do you see?"

Looking on, Rinoa found looking into the past like watching fish underwater. Peering through the distortion, Rinoa realised that what had been happening was in real time. They weren't watching the past, they were joining it.

"What do you see, Lion-love?"

"I see Raine"

* * *

"Laguna? Laguna, where are you? Laguna!" Raine screamed, running through the downcast cobblestone of Winhill. A battle sounded on the horizon, red flashes and heavy artillery fire crackled and hissed into the air like popcorn and fireworks. There was blood on the church's stone walls. Bodies of men and monsters littered the normally peaceful walkways of the sleepy town. Winhill had woken up with a bomb in its ears.

"Laguna! Laguna!" Raine screamed, pushing past the body of a dead villager, he always asked for the same kind of whiskey. She hurled. Up ahead, she saw Kiros savagely thrusting his knives into another victim, splaying the Estharian's innards across a street sign. She couldn't move. Quickly, the battle raged, Laguna fired round after round into the melee, throwing grenades and leaping out of weapons fire. There was no gleam in his eye this time. He wasn't fighting monsters for items or gil, he was fighting death. He was fighting for her. Throwing all sense of caution to the tainted copper winds, Raine lept forward, watching in horror as Laguna's machine gun ran out of bullets. His swearing penetrated the area as he threw the last grenade he had at the mounting enemy forces. Kiros faired no better, although he required no ammunition, Kiros could tire, the evidence showing in his increasingly sloppy slashes and suicidal moves. There were too many of them.

She let out a scream as a stray energy beam singed her hair. She didn't know what was more horrifying, the enemy finally seeing her, or the look of horror on Laguna's face. Running toward her, Laguna's mind raced as he threw himself on top of his wife, nothing mattered but her safety, and the danger was acute and poisonous. Without thinking, Raine yanked a backpack off of a soldier, bringing a machine gun with it as Laguna threw her to the ground, covering her with his own body as another Estharian energy blast erupted on top of them. Thumbing the ring on her finger, Raine whispered,

"Please" as a sickening rip tore at the fabric of the world. Rinoa watched first hand as Griever came to the rescue, she saw Kiros running after Ellone, soldiers' horrified faces as their brothers-in-arms were liquified, as the wave cascaded down and around the woman clinging to her husband, saving his life with her own. The last Rinoa knew was Raine's blood curdling screams. She would never forget.

"Come, Lion-love. There is yet more"

"N. .no." Rinoa whined, her eyes frozen on the fading image of Laguna bloodied in Raine's arms. Twisting time again, Griever threw them into a vortex that melt like acid on cheap tin. Garden.

"Hey, Squall watcha. . . duuude!" Zell yelled, his peppy entrance halted by the ring box Squall had been holding open. Thrusting the small velet box in his pocket, Squall was too late as Zell bounded up beside his friend alone in the bowels of Garden's lowest mechanical level. It was Squall's sanctuary.

"Nothing! It was nothing"

"THAT was an engagement ring. Dude, Rinoa's gonna flip!"

"DON'T TELL HER!" Squall screamed, leaping off the edge of the rail to tumble down to the warm metal flooring of Garden's lowest deck. Zell followed. He had gotten quite good at this Squall business over the last while. It had only taken six months and the promise of pain of torture and death that he would not under any circumstances tell Rinoa or any other living being about where Squall went, but what else were friends for?

"Hey, dude don't worry. Secret Fortress, I remember. Hey. . . uh, Squall, there's no WAY you're ready for this. No offence, but c'mon, dude, you're not even nineteen yet"

". . . She expects it. It's all she talks about. Maybe if I give it to her, she'll shut up and let us have fun for a while."

"Why do I get the feeling this is going to be a loooong engagement?" Zell asked, sitting next to his friend on what looked to be a box of spare parts. Opening the front of the cardboard, Zell unconcealed a mini fridge with beer, a deck of playing cards, dried fruit, pepperoni and pop in it.

"Beer?" Zell asked, tossing his friend one as Squall nodded fervently. The two sat in silence long enough for the beers to begin buzzing in their system. Squall was glad, that for some unknown reason, Rinoa couldn't find him here, it was the one place where he was completely alone. The odd part was, he didn't mind Zell here once in a while. It was like it didn't count. He had another beer as they listened to the mechanical whirring surrounding them.

"So, when are you gonna ask her? Gotta big date planned?" Zell asked skeptically, leaning back on the box to stare at the three mechanical floors above them. Huffing, Squall put his hands behind his head and laid down with a shrug.

"Whatever."

". . . Ask Irvine"

"Are you insane?"

"Not that you're gonna marry her, ask him about the perfect date! I'm sure he's got a book somewhere or something." Zell said defensively, as Squall threw his empty beer can at him.

"Woa!" Zell spazed, flailing and falling off the box with the can in his arms. Squall laughed before eyeing the ring box, and quickly shutting his eyes. Zell knew that look, it was the Squall-needs-alone-time look.

"Well, time for me to go practice in the Training Center for the both of us. See ya 'round Squall" Zell said, waving as he stood up and watched the world spin. Grimacing, he cast a potion on himself and shook his body from head to toe. That felt good. Squall whispered,

". . Thanks"

Zell shrugged. What else was he there for? Bounding up the stairs, he hoped he didn't run into Rinoa on the way to the Training Center, then remembered the very very secret shortcut he and Squall had made: a tunnel and ladder into one of the most secluded areas. It had worked for a quick getaway many a time. How else were they going to get contraband like beer and mini fridges down there?

Sighing, Squall sat up and tugged his arms around his knees.

"I wish I didn't have to ask her at all. Why can't I just wait five years?" Squall whispered to himself, completely oblivious that some time in the nearing future, Rinoa would be witnessing the monologue in the company of his Guardian.

* * *

Sniffing, Rinoa watched painfully as the vision flipped to another faded image clearing into Squall and Laguna in Winhill.

". . . What do you want for your birthday, Squall?"

"Would I be evil if I said a miscarriage?". . .

* * *

Griever shook back to Rinoa revived and powerful, the release of his energy scattering any remote feelings of safety from the pregnant girl's aura. The space between shifted, Balamb Garden resurfaced as she and Griever were thrown into Squall's dorm room, the brown haired boy huddled on his bed.

He was sobbing. Rinoa knew at that moment how much of himself Squall struggled desperately to hide from her sorceress' mind.

"I know you can hear me. Whatever you are, I need your help. I don't. . . I don't want Rinoa to know I'm not ready. I'm not the man she wants, I'm not the man anyone wants. I wish I had Sis. She always made everything better. Sis's gone, I'm alone. All alone. These. . these people. Why do they stay? They're like a plague! Every last one of them, they're a disease! Why can't she just leave me alone? I want to be alone. . . I want Sis back. I guess that means I wouldn't be alone, but I'd have what I need. I'm tired. I can't sleep because I'm afraid that Rinoa will hear me. Dig into my dreams or something. I . . . I can't DO this! What she's asking, I'm . . . I'm not ready. I'm not ready. . . not ready. . . not. . . . . . "

Griever eyed the sorceress as she cast a sleep spell on Squall's past form. Tears soaked her cheeks as her shoulders suddenly hung very, very heavily in the suspended air.

"You change the past, Lion-love. Ignorance does not excuse action," Griever snarled.

"I. . . I couldn't listen to any more" Rinoa said, her face set as stone through the tears.

"I never imagined he felt that way"

"Lion-love! You are tearing MY line limb from limb. I cannot allow it. Because of YOU Ciel must cease to exist."

"What? No, there HAS to be a way. . . to .. . why did you bring me here?" Rinoa asked, suddenly very skeptical and afraid.

Griever drifted within inches of the girl's face. Instantly, Rinoa was drawn into the entirety of Griever's pain, his utter darkened soul. Her mind tore beyond breaking until she almost ceased to exist, then in a very small way one single white feather singed black at the tip floated into her eye. It was Ciel's. The feather melted into the scenery as Rinoa gasped and shuddered.

"Lion-love, balance must be achieved! The Lionhearted does not want your child, Ciel must not be allowed to wither and fade like a wraith; a ghost of the long since dead. Ciel must live, your child cannot die. Give me the child in your womb. To protect, to care, to guide. Ciel may leave this realm only with another Lionheart in my possession."

". . . Wh. . what if I say no? What if I don't let you?" Rinoa quieried, already knowing her decision was useless. Griever expanded, consuming the entirety of the space, including Rinoa and the child.

"I will kill and destroy every living being who comes against me. Everyone you and the Lionhearted have or will possibly care for or love. I will desolate worlds for Ciel and MY LINE. Take great care, Lion-love. The time is nigh, when all will be revealed. I do not see the past only. I know your useless little plan, All will perish. Only you can salvage those you love. I came to you out of a courtesy, do not forget your place."

Cruely, Griever placed a mystified claw on Rinoa's imobile stomac,

"Such a small thing to give to one who would protect it. Give him to me."

* * *

Sobbing, a teary eyed Rinoa was thrown through the meditative pathways of her Sorceress powers and back into the upper room in Winhill. Swiping her hand onto her stomac, she breathed deeper with the knowledge that the baby was still there. He hadn't taken it. . . He hadn't taken it.. . He couldn't take it. Then. . .

"Raine gave him Ciel. Hyne how?" Rinoa gasped, understanding for the first time what a tremendous price Raine had paid.

"That is correct, child" Edea said, finishing the ascent of the last two steps. Rinoa's head snapped up at the woman who gave her the sorceress power she used.

"Edea? How could Raine have DONE something like that? Trade one life for the other?"

"Because she loved her children" sitting beside the girl, Edea's ancient, scarred eyes sought deep into the recesses of Rinoa's soul. She found what she was looking for and sighed.

"I don't understand" Rinoa mumbled, looking off in the direction of the window. She felt eery, like just being in the space made her destined in some radical way to follow in Raine's beleagered footsteps.

"Raine knew she would never survive the pregnancy. She also knew Griever. She knew him well and it tortured her to see how painful the mighty could sink. She also knew that Laguna wasn't coming back. His last letter about the state of things in Esthar cleared that in her mind. He wanted to bring her to Esthar once things were settled, but Raine knew. When Ellone came back with stories of her Uncle in battle, saving the world from Adel, she wept that she would never see him alive again. What if he failed? The safest place for her children was in the arms of her guardian. If Laguna succeeded, their children would be hunted and constantly in danger of being kidnapped and ransomed from Esthar's new President. She was never one for the limelight, even as a child, she kept herself behind everyone, so as not to be seen. Laguna gave her the strength to go to other places, be in the spotlight, but not for long. Before she gave birth, she held a party in Winhill. To say goodbye to all the people she loved."

"What has that to do with giving away your child?" Rinoa sniffed.

"Raine knew where her priorities lied, and what would do the most good in everyone's memory. You must do the same" Edea said, reaching to stroke the back of Rinoa's hand with her thumb.

"Are you telling me to lose my child!"

"I am advising you to think about what the best is for all involved. Think of your options and choose one. Griever has spoken with you, I know the choices he has offered you. Do not forget who I am, I am also a Lionheart, but I left the childbearing to my sister. Believe Griever, he will not harm the Lionhearts. Sometimes, to do the greater good, pain must befall the few"

* * *

The fish pond in Winhill was the hiding place of choice for frogs and small animals, and it seemed, the spouses or spouses-to-be of the Lionhearts found the spot particularly amusing. At least the fish were still swimming. More than anything, it reminded Rinoa that no matter what Hyne threw at them, life in itself, in its purest form, would soldier on. Small dots of water littered the calming surface, the fish darting to safeties unseen. It wasn't raining. Amidst the tiny sobs, Rinoa heard a familiar pair of shoes, and saw a very familiar shadow rippling through the water.

"I know this is hard, Rinoa. Never said it would be anything but. Even so, I need to know: are you ready?"

Rinoa wiped her eyes with her palms with a tired laugh,  
"Ready? Are any of us? Can we be?"

Sitting on the dock, Laguna relished the sounds of the loose boards, the light wind rustling the overgrowth, a raven cawing.

"We have to be. I don't know why Griever hates us so much, but I guess. . . I guess this world just makes people tired. After the Sorceress Wars all of us thought we could breathe again. Life almost went on. Something tragic never stops hurting. Trick of it is to savour the memories of whatever we leave behind, because we always leave something behind."

"Or someone"

"Yeah, you could say that". Laguna looked over at the raven haired beauty. He knew that look,  
"So who you leaving behind?"

Shocked, Rinoa swung her eyes into Laguna's face. It was more wrinkled than she remembered, small lines coaxing the laughter of days so far past. Rinoa sighed with a sardonic laugh.

"Whose the Sorceress now?"

"Doesn't take a genius to know that look. 'Specially since I coined it." Laguna said with a wry grin. Rinoa giggled, a frog jumped into the mirky pond. Yes, life would go on. It would always go on. A thin silence coated the two sitting there throwing pebbles in the pond, eventually Laguna spoke again.

"You never did answer my question, eh?" Laguna lifted a piece of Rinoa's hair behind her ear and looked into her eyes with all the caring a father should give. She'd never known that caring.

"Think I should give Squall that miscarriage he asked for?" she said with a sad laugh. Laguna started in shock and defence,

"How. . . how did you ?"

"Griever"

". . . Squall loves you. He might be a teenager, but he loves you. He's just. . ."

"Please!" Rinoa cried out, shrugging Laguna's hand off her shoulder. "Please don't. I don't want to hear any more. I'll be ready. You go do what you have to do"

Rinoa quickly rose and scrambled up the path, four seconds later, she was gone. Laguna winced, then closed his eyes, letting the remaining pebbles fall with liquid clunks into the water below. He had time, he had to talk to Squall.

* * *

"Griever, I know you can hear me. Alright. You win. I'll . . . I'll go through with this. Promise me you'll take care of my baby. Promise. . . I'm ready"

Rinoa stoked the flame one last time, relishing the warmth of the fire by her skin. Somewhere she thought she heard Griever sigh, perhaps it was the flame. Nevermatter, she thought, touching her stomach one last time. Everyone was waiting downstairs at the bar. They could wait another minute. Softly, she heard an elderly throat clear.

"Hullo?"

Mrs. Jordan placed an arthritic hand back onto the railing.  
"Rinoa? Everyone's gettin' a bit antsy down there. You'd better c'mon, if you're gonna come at all"

Ellone walked up behind Mrs. Jordan and excused herself past. Nodding, Mrs. Jordan descended the stairs, Ellone held herself across them, barring Rinoa's way.

"Ellone?" Rinoa had never seen Ellone scowl before.

"Rinoa." Ellone's voice could have frozen Ifrit himself. Suddenly, Rinoa wasn't exactly sure of how much Ellone had been privy to.

"I thought they're all waiting for us downstairs"

"They are, but something tells me you're not waiting for the same thing they are"

". . . I don't know. . . " Rinoa stumbled back, catching herself on the couch behind her.

"I know what you've planned, Rinoa. Are you sure you want it to end this way?" Ellone said, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"We all agreed it would be the best plan going" Rinoa said with a false grin, all she needed was to get downstairs.

"Whose 'we'? You or Griever?"

"Let me by"

"Fire scrying? Talking to the Netherplane? I really hope you know what you're doing"

"Sorceress, remember?"

"Right" Ellone spat, Rinoa slowly realised she wasn't getting through.

"What do you want, Ellone?"

"I want to know if your little charade with Griever is going to put any of the others in danger. Because, if it is, I swear, "

"You'll what? Summon Griever? Last time I checked, you weren't a Lionheart, Elle"

Slap! Rinoa readied a spell, as she held her bruising cheek.

"I'm doing what I have to do" Rinoa seethed.

Ellone went to speak, but Mrs. Jordan called again from the bottom of the stairs.

"Be careful, Rinoa." Ellone whispered, half-hoping Rinoa's arrangement would actually work.

"I'm coming Mrs. Jordan!" Bye bye, baby. Walking down the stairs, Rinoa scanned the company: Irvine cocked his favourite shotgun, Selphie played with the fringe on her dress, Rajin's shadow covered Quistis, who held herself at attention, whip taught in her capable hands as the Captain of White SeeD glared at his sword. Rajin had taken it upon himself to segregate the groups. Mrs. Jordan sat on a barstool, Edea firmly by her side, watching Rinoa with a careful eye. Rinoa nodded at her fellow sorceress, scanning the rest of the room: Zell pounced in the corner throwing air punches, he was nervous, the muscles in his jaw were quivering, yet determined. I'll do this for you, Zell, you, the others and . . .

"Where's Squall?" she asked, the hushed room turning tensely to the one man she didn't notice behind the bar. Downing a final gulp of Scotch, Laguna picked up his machine gun and hefted it methodically over his shoulder, like he had done a thousand times before. Kiros and Ward stood behind him, their weapons at ready. Kiros sighed.

"Squall's not coming." Seifer said, stepping forward from the doorway where he and Fujin stood, hands clasped in one last tender moment. They're all ready to die. Rinoa gaped inwardly at her insolence. Of course he wouldn't be here, it wasn't safe.

"He can't save the world this time." Seifer finished, smirking sadly at the rest of the group. Ellone took a deep breath,

"Let's finish this, then" Ellone said from the stairway.

* * *

"What the hell was in your Hyne-damned head?" Squall screamed, punching a gaping hole in the wall by Rinoa's head. The entire room went silent as the grave, no one knew whether they should leave or pick up their weapons. They didn't know who to fight.

Panting, Squall released his fist from the wreckage, shaking off the bits of wood and drywall. Rinoa eyed the fist with a fearful contempt. He had never, NEVER even been close to hitting her before. And now. . . now she didn't have a pregnancy to hide behind.

"What were you thinking? Rinoa what did you do!" Squall wailed, his voice cracking as the breath in his lungs left him with little to replace it. Bowing her head, Quistis turned to Rajin, who along with Selphie, Irvine, the remaining White SeeD's and Mrs. Jordan left the Bar solemnly, this was a lovers' quarrel. Seifer and Fujin stayed behind with Edea at the back of the bar, far away from the centre of the conflict. A tear streaked Edea's face as she realised the depth the intrigue Griever had sunk into. She knew what Griever had asked of Rinoa, but this. . . ? Edea's face sunk low as she found a barstool to sit upon.

"I thought this would make you happy" Rinoa whimpered, moving her eyes to focus on her fiancee's face.

"No! No, you didn't!" Squall yelped, too hurt to do anything but stumble against the wall, sliding down to the floor.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he whispered, his voice small and grievious. Rinoa watched him in horror.

"Me tell you? Why didn't I tell YOU? Whose the one with the secrets, Squall? Whose the one crying himself to sleep at night for his 'Sis' when I'm right there? Whose the one who wanted a miscarriage for his birthday? Whose the one that didn't want to get married! You probably don't even love me, do you?"

Squall's eyes shot up at Laguna, "You told her? You promised!"

"Squall, I swear" Laguna said, arms out in retreat.

"Stop LYING!" Squall yelped, jumping off the floor, chest heaving with exhaustion.

Ciel took a step towards Squall, her feet still moving as awkward and clumsy as a toddler.

"Our father didn't lie, Squall. Griever took Rinoa into the past. He showed her everything!"

"Stop it! STOP! Just LEAVE! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Squall yelled, running out of the Bar as fast as he could. Rinoa went to follow him, but Zell stepped forward,

"Wait! . . . Let's just. . . let Squall breathe. He can't go anywhere we can't find him"

"Zell's right" Laguna said, "Let him be"

Irvine came bursting into the Bar,

"Anybody know why Squall's runnin' a blue streak out of here?" Selphie soon followed,

"Should we maybe make sure he's okay?"

Ciel gasped, Laguna lunged forward to catch his falling daughter.

"Ciel?"

". . . Squall." Ciel let out a minute laugh, "He'll be okay"

"What's happening?" Zell asked, grabbing hold of Ciel's hand. Laguna's eyebrow shot up.

"He's saying hello to someone he hasn't seen in a very long time" Ciel smiled at her father, nodding at his sudden realisation of what had, in fact, transpired.

"He'll be just fine"


	17. Life

A/N: This is it. The final cliffhanger. The last words before the Epilogue. Don't worry, the Epilogue will be a long one. Promise.I guess I came to the point where I hadn't grown enough in myself to write the rest of this fic. It's morphed over time into something I didn't expect, but oh so necessary. If only just for me. I can't tell you in words how much I cried in writing the exchange in the next few paragraphs, I hope you can see some of it through the words. Enjoy, feel, cry, laugh and live. That's the secret. Live. Wow, what a concept, eh? 

Verdanii, Lynn-Minmay, Twin-Lance and Empress-Eerian-Sadow: Thanks for not forgetting my story entirely. This one's for you all. Especially you, Twin-Lance. Especially all of you.

* * *

Squall ran and ran deep into the field of wildflowers his mother loved so much. Stumbling over her grave, he thought he heard a voice, a soft melody chiming his name. The winds grew. Grunting again, Squall stumbled on, catching his feet on vines he didn't remember being there. Further up, and further in, Squall ran blindly into the forest at the hem of Winhill, and the wilderness beyond. Again, a voice like the soft spring winds called out his name, goading him further, deeper in. Suddenly, a crackling in the bushes alerted his attention, he reached for his Gunblade, but it wasn't there. He had left it in Winhill at the Bar. A rustling in the trees alerted his senses to the right, as the increasing wind blew mud and dirt into his face. Gasping, Squall wiped his eyes with his sleeve, only to find instead of mud, it was copper.  
Blood.

Looking up, Squall saw the remains of a chocobo being benignly chewed in the jaws of a Blue Dragon. Retreating backwards, Squall's feet hit a tree root thoroughly embedded in the terrain. The sound of the air exiting Squall's lungs alerted the monster to his presence.

"Sht!" Squall wheezed, scrambling backwards into something solid. He didn't have the time to see what he had backed into, as the mighty Blue Dragon lunged in his direction. Throwing his arms over his eyes with a scream, Squall felt the Dragon's claws pierce him in the midsection. A firm growl resonated from whatever Squall had backed into, it was then that Squall turned to see the image of Griever breaking the Dragon's neck with one outstretched paw. A thick snarl broke the temporary silence as Griever threw the unfortunate monster several meters away. Coughing roughly, Squall tried to get up, to defend himself, to fight the searing pain in his midsection.

Instantly, Squall felt the air in the wood accumulate around him, delivering him up to eye-level with the most fiersome beast of all. Squall could see humanity in Griever's eyes. Slowly, softly, Griever knit back together flesh the glancing blow the creature had torn from Squall's body.

"Sleep, Lionheart. Sleep, Squall. Let me carry you" Griever's voice cooed in Squall's ears more than he had ever imagined it could. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice was screaming, don't give up! Don't give in! But, another much more calming voice, the voice of Griever, the voice with Griever soothed and calmed him, until his eyes shut and his mind went dark.

"Hello, Squall" that voice, the same voice Griever shared in the wood, coaxed Squall back into consciousness as warm fingers wiped a cloth over his eyes.

"Look at you, such a mess. Just like your father" the voice said, a sad laugh inbred with the light scolding of a mother with her young child. Blinking awake, Squall saw a form blur and glisten into his vision. She was beautiful.

"Raine. . . mm. . . mom?" Squall gasped, lifting himself off the . . . where was he? Confused, Squall soon realised he could not see anything but the soft fragrant portrait of his mother, Raine Lionheart Loire wiping the grit off his young face.

"How? How is this?" Squall cried, tears replacing the fear and agony of the last few hours.

"Griever's not all bad, Squall. My boy, my son." Raine, too, or at least her spectre, was crying. She let the tears fall. Squall relished the feel of his mother's fingers on his cheek wiping away his every tear.

"I miss you, mom. I miss you so much" he whimpered, still in shock over actually seeing and feeling his mother's touch. Even if this was a dream, whatever it was, he wasn't going to miss a second of it. Soon, the tears on Squall's face fell too hard for even Raine's loving fingers to brush away. Pushing himself up, Squall fell upward into his mother's arms finally sobbing in this stolen, sweet embrace.

"My baby. Oh, oh my boy. I'm here, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Squall, I'm so sorry you had to grow up without us. I'm so sorry the world is cruel, Squall, but everything can still be okay. Hush, baby. Hush, hush, shhhhhh" Raine's voice cooed and soothed more than anthing Squall had ever felt or heard before. Time itself stopped for them, holed up together in a lasting embrace. Years later Squall would understand that Griever had sent him into the past at the exact moment Raine had been granted sight of her future. Such a deep magic had been used, that Hyne herself had conjoured the spells used, the deep incantations bred into exactly the people Squall and Raine had been surrounded by.

"I don't want to lose you mom. Please, don't go. . . Don't leave me, not again"

"Look at me, Squall" Raine said finally, holding her son at arms length. Squall tried to stop crying, he bit his lip, but Raine just gazed at him with her big, soft, loving eyes, put a finger to his chin and continued.

"Squall, I know this has never been easy, and it never will be, but you need to know now of all times that I love you. I love you, and I have waited entire lifetimes to say that. Now, Squall, the earth isn't on your shoulder, Hyne knows she never would have put it there even for so brief a time if she wasn't going to give you something to replace the damage with." Squall turned his eyes away from his mother, but Raine put a frail hand on his cheek, lifting his eyes up again into her tear-stained face.

"You are so beautiful." She said, overcome, once again, by the sight of her only son. Once again, Squall's eyes were brought up into his mother's face. He had dreamt of her, of feeling her warm embrace, but no dreams could match even a fragment of this. . . this heaven.

"Squall, this is important: I love you and so does your father, he loves you so much he's a complete idiot at every step. That's how you can tell, Squall. Laguna gets so messed up and turned around when he loves someone that he can't do anything right, but there are those moments where you can see he really does love you, because no one in their right mind would do the things he does. He'd go to Hades itself for you. Listen, I can't always be with you, Squall. The fact that Hyne allowed me to see you now is more than a miracle. It's my last wish, Squall, that I could see your face before the end. I'd tell you to be the grown-up that's in there somewhere, but you've been forced to grow up much too soon. Go, Squall. Go out there and see the world for all that's in it. Don't stop, don't ever stop doing, discovering everything you possibly can. Travel, live, Squall. Live. For me, please, for me, for your sister, live. Go out, and you and your sister can teach each other what it means to be alive. Just be. That's it. That's the secret advice of your dead mother, just be. Just live. Go out and experience everything, take time, discover what you find at your hands to do, and do it. There's no sin in living, Squall. There's no shame in not being recognised. You don't have to do great things to have a great life. Your fighting is over. Done. Remember that I love you, and I wish I could be there to see you grow and pick you up, but I can't. Fate has other plans, but before I die, before you go back there to those people sitting in this whisp of a town, I wanted you to know how much I love you, and I wanted you to not go a step further without a hug and kiss from your mother. I love you Squall. Happy Birthday." Raine let the tears fall rapidly down her cheeks as she took her son once again into her arms.

"I love you mom!" Squall sobbed, all the anger, fears, terrors and agressions of so many years in such a short life falling out of him, drifting away in the only embrace he would ever have from his mother. An eternity passed with Raine holding her son tight, letting all of it drain away into the tides of this timeless place, Raine's only lullaby drifting in Squall's ears. More than a word from his mother, Squall found in that place the love he so craved, the healing he needed so desperately, and the permission to do the simplest thing: live.

* * *

"Raine? Hey, Raine-y! . . . Honey?" Laguna bounded up the stairs to where he could hear his wife breathing. The smile on his face swiftly fled as he saw Raine huddled by the fireplace weeping as softly as a babe. Sniffling, Raine looked up to see her husband slide across the floor, a worried look on his face. Strong fingers tucked her loose hair behind her ears as scared knuckles swiped the tears from her cheeks. Laguna tugged Raine into his arms, she relished the musky scent of him as she let her face bathe itself in his shoulder and muscular chest.

"Raine?" Laguna whispered as his wife cried softly in his embrace. "Raine honey, I can't help you unless you tell me what's wrong"

Sniffling again, Raine whispered,

"I need a hankie"

Chuckling despite himself, Laguna tugged a dry hankie out of his back pocket and handed it to his wife.

"Is that all? You could've asked, y'know"

Both human beings looked at each other and smiled. Feeling her hair with his fingers, Laguna touched her brow with his.

"You're beautiful"

"Even like this?"

"Especially like this". Laguna let his eyes do the talking, and they shouted love.

"Men are stupid" Raine said with a laugh and a sniff.

"No argument on that one"

"Have you ever thought about kids?"

"What, the little snivelling devil of a child downstairs isn't enough?"

"You know what I mean. Our kids."

". . . Did you hit your head on the fireplace?" Laguna asked, his eyebrow raised in a skeptical expression.

"No." Raine said, rolling her eyes as Laguna pretended to examine her head for telltale signs of connection with fire and brimstone.

"I've just been thinking. . ."

"Dangerous words"

"Hey, shush."

"Fine, be that way"

"Laguna, what would you say if you only had one chance to talk to your one and only son, when he was old enough to listen and understand everything you said?"

". . . . . . Wow. You sure you didn't hit your head?"

"Yes, I'm sure I didn't hit my head. Tell me, what would you say if you only had one chance to share the world with the one person you gave the world to?"

Laguna sat with his back against the corner of the fireplace, wife in his arms, contemplating the deep emotional circumstances Raine spoke of.

"No matter what use a condom?"

"Laguna!" Raine said, smacking her husband as hard as she could on his chest.

"Ow! That hurt!"

"I was being serious!"

"So was I! I'm sorry Raine, but I'm not you, I can't just spill out everything in my head for whatever person I'm supposed to be talking to. That's your gift, not mine. I guess. . . I guess I would say whatever came into my head, and would probably make the biggest jackass of myself possible. I make messes, you fix them and I love you for it. You can show anyone what it's like to live without them feeling guilty about it, and that's more than most of us can boast in a lifetime. I guess I would tell this hypothetical boy to listen to his mother. What else can I do? Remember to carry extra ammo? Always have a spare? Be good? Don't be like me? I don't know, Raine. All I do know is that I love you more than the whole world put together, and you are the sexiest woman on Earth right now, and if you don't give me something else to do in about ten seconds, I'm gonna start kissing you til the sun goes down next tuesday."

Raine took in everything her husband said, and as she did an enormous grin tackled its way across her face. Three seconds passed before Raine pounced on top of Laguna, and they didn't get up until the sun went down.

* * *

"Squall? Squaaa-aaallll? I know you're out here" Ciel sang, stepping her way barefoot through the forest. As Ciel hummed a lullaby she didn't know she knew, she smiled as Zell and Laguna followed at a not-so-far distance. Turning another corner, Ciel saw a small brook washing past into a glittering pond. The sun was setting, and the trees had cast a sheltering shadow over the small glade. Fireflies swam in the sky, as Ciel giggled: Squall layed upon the soft grown grass clutching firmly in his hands a crumpled piece of paper.

"Dad, Zell. I found him" she whispered, turning around to where the pair of searchers stood not fifty feet away.

"Why are we whispering?" Laguna asked, trotting up to his daughter. Ciel pointed at Squall's slumbering form. A smile of relief grew across Laguna's features. Finally, after a full day of searching, they had found him, and just in time, night was falling.

"Shall we wake up sleeping beauty?" Ciel said, tiptoeing towards her long-found brother. Laguna chuckled as Zell motioned a resounding no with his hands.

"Duck and cover, Princess, Duck and cover" Laguna whispered, leaning down to sit on the soft carpet of grass not three feet away from his son. Ciel nodded, giggling again as Zell warned her she'd lose her head if she dared. Crawling the last two feet, Ciel moved her hair across her other shoulder as she bent low to scoop the hair away from her brother's forehead and place a gentle kiss on his brow. His nose twitched as he reached up to bat her face away. Smiling, Ciel blew softly on Squall's eyes and nose, until he began to quiver and rise from his deep, deep sleep. Stretching blindly, Squall yawned, groggily opening his eyes to reveal his sister in the setting sun.

"Hello brother. Or good morning, if you prefer" Ciel said, her eyes telling him far more than her tongue would allow. Rising off the grass, Squall sat up to see Laguna sitting an arm's breadth away. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and didn't stop as he saw Zell standing on guard nearby.

"How long've I been gone?"

"A day and a half" Ciel said, never taking her eyes off her brother.

"Rinoa's ready to call all of Garden in search of you" Laguna sighed, rising off the ground and offering his son and daughter a hand.

"We told her it wouldn't be necessary" Ciel chimed, lifting off the ground with help from her father's hand.

Squall took his father's hand and got off the ground. Standing face to face with his father and sister, Squall reached over and grabbed them both in a hug. Shocked, Laguna patted Squall's back a few times before winking at Squall and slapping him firmly between the shoulderblades. All in good fun. Ciel and Squall laughed, Zell sat back watching the family bond for the first time in. . . ever.

"Yeah, they'll be better than fine" he whispered, not expecting the spectre of Griever to stand beside him and whisper,

"I would have it no other way"

Getting over his initial shock and awe, Zell shrugged, "Yup. Pretty much. Thinking so. . . "


	18. At Journey's End, Farewell

A/N: Here it is, long awaited as it has been. This series of spotlights seemed to be the best way to end such a long running fic, and I truely hope it ties up all those loose ends. This may have turned out to be a very different fiction than it started out as, but I do hope it's still worth the read. So, without further ado, the final chapter.

* * *

Laguna sat on the beach with a sigh and a smile on his creased face. Both his children floated and fluttered in the blue, crisp water of the Balamb shore laughing and giggling away. _Thanks Raine_, Laguna whispered, a single tear threatening to slink down his face. 

"Hey, Dad! Pass it over already!" Ciel giggled, as a volleyball careened past Laguna's head and knocked over his ice tea. The tear was forgotten for fits of shrieks and laughter.

"Ahh! Whatcha trying to do, knock off the old man? I got a government that might be opposed to that, y'know!" Laguna said with a laugh. Jogging up across the sand Squall grabbed the volleyball with a twist and a curl a split second before his dad could yank it out of the sand.

"Sorry, Dad. You okay?" he asked, looking at the forgotten tear mark on Laguna's face.

"Uh, yeah. Sand in the eye, y'know?"

"Heh. Yeah. Sure. Hey, um, wanna play volleyball? With us? I mean, Zell and Ciel are kicking my . . . I've got a spot."

Laguna looked hard at his son's body. Scars on his chest wrinkled and moved when he flipped and spiked the ball, healing wounds on his legs faded in the Balamb sun, his chestnut hair flowed messily and damp around his face and the scar between his eyes. By Hyne it was hard to see.

"Where's Irvine, can't he come out and play?"

". . . He went out with Selphie and Rinoa. She doesn't like the beach. . " Squall toed the sand with his foot, Rinoa was still a sore subject, they had broken off their engagement, and both asked for time to think. That was four months ago. They hadn't spoken at all since then. All of their friends had been handling the situation with care, and trying to get the couple back together had been a subtle priority with Selphie.

"Yeah, well, I was finished doing what I was doing anyways, so sure! I'll play!" Laguna said, massaging the back of his neck with his hand. Waving at Kiros, Ward and the several Estharan SeeD candidates, Laguna gave a pathetic little whimper as he jogged up to the net and loosened his button down. Kiros had offered to take the Estharan transfer students out for some field traning at the Beach, and basically guaranteed that the Loire family wouldn't have any run-ins with wily sea monsters. Now, however, Kiros and Ward shook their heads and shared a laugh as Laguna tripped and face planted into the soft golden sand.

"Heh. Kinda slippery here. . . Your serve!" Laguna mumbled to Ciel and Zell. The two of them had become inseparable, the best of friends, and solid buddies. Squall had been given an indefinate furlough from Garden responsibilities, taking missions when he wanted, training and living between Garden, Esthar and Winhill. Ciel and Squall had finished up the Winhill house, fixing the bar and leaving it up and running with the help of Ellone, Seifer, Fujin, Rajin and Quistis. The Bar & Cafe had been renamed "Raine" and had become quite popular for furloughing SeeD's and world travellers.

Another addition to their lives, Ciel had been blossoming, switching her time between the Presidential Palace and Winhill. Soon enough, she was found to have strengths in analytical studies, and had taken to psychology and dancing with an almost supernatural ease. Ciel had also become quite the athelete, and proved that fact with another amazing volley. Squall dove from the back, sending the ball back up into the air as Laguna tapped it over to an awaiting Zell. Bumping the ball up, Zell stepped back, as Ciel sent the ball up towards Zell for another spike from the muscled martial artist.

"Get it, Dad!" Squall yelled, watching the ball move closer and closer to the sand.

"Woa!" Laguna yelped, narrowly missing the ball, as it went mysteriously up, up and back to the opposing side.

"Hey! No fair!" Ciel laughed, as Zell got a ball to the head.

"Yeah. . . OWW!!!!"

Everyone laughed as Seifer dove in to the rescue, tossing his greatcoat out of bounds, and smiling wickedly at everyone.

"Couldn't let you guys loose too bad to Chicken-wuss, and Feathers" Seifer had become quite fond of teasing Ciel, she reacted with the same fury as Zell, or Squall would. Rolling her eyes, Fujin gingerly stepped into the fray for the opposing team.

"IMMATURE" Fujin said, tossing the ball to her husband on the other side. Ciel was too busy sticking her tongue out to notice their volleyball game had become a far more public event.

"Who're you callin' Feathers, you dusty squirrel!?" she yelled back, smacking the ball Seifer had served over.

"Yeah! Who're you callin' Chicken-wuss, . . . Seifer!" Zell taunted, getting stuck, and shrugging. Fujin volleyed the ball, sending it over to Laguna, who set it up for his one and only son.

Seifer just laughed, life had been starting to mellow, it had been a year since Ultimecia, and the sins of the past were being swiftly forgotten into the dusty pages of history books and late night tv movies. Even the political scene in Galbadia had been calming down, the entire world it seemed, was settling in for a hefty peace. Work came easy for SeeD, however, clean-up after the wake of the Galbadian attacks had left much of the cities in need of repair, and Garden had become integral in the reshaping of the globe.

* * *

After several more volleyball matches and an inevitable tie call, Seifer, Fujin, Zell, Ciel and Squall sat around a hearty camp fire on Balamb's white sandy beach. Laguna had gone off to complete some Presidential business, and the rest of the young adults were enjoying the crackling flames and soft lulling music the ocean's waves provided. Ward and Kiros had brought some food for the gang, and they all sat happily munching the various treats. 

Seifer and Fujin had been watching Ciel with interest, especially seeing how quickly her and Zell had become solid friends. She had been with them only a few months and already she had been attracting the kind of magnetic belonging of a Posse of her own, even if she was tenderly uncomfortable with large amounts of people. Her posse was much the same as Seifer, Fujin and Rajin had all those years ago. Now that Rajin had been spending the majority of his time with Quistis, and Garden's mandate of rebuilding the war-torn areas, their trio had become lagging, the cafe in Winhill had become a welcome escape from the lack of their rather large friend. As much as he liked teasing them, Seifer could see how Ciel just seemed to fit with everyone so well. Munching on an apple, Seifer leaned back and scanned the twins and their blonde friend.

"Ciel, why do you like Chicken-wuss so much, anyways?" Squall rolled his eyes, preparing to be the big boy and split apart what could become another explosive situation. Ciel coughed, sputtering her bottle of water, and looking from Zell to Squall in an almost panic. Squall smiled at his sister, so opposite to himself, yet amazingly similar in so much.

"I dunno." Ciel said quickly, hoping the fire had kept everyone from seeing her blush. Zell slumped his shoulders slightly at her answer, Squall could see how much Zell had taken a liking to his twin, and didn't quite know how to handle it yet.

"Yeah you do." Seifer quipped back. "No person whose spent so much time looking at all of us just becomes friends with one of us on a whim"

Squall paused, 'one of us', Seifer and his posse were one of them now, or maybe Squall, Ciel and Zell had become one of them. He wasn't sure. Ciel's cheeks were on fire, she couldn't quite put her finger on why she liked Zell so much, nor any of them save for the fact that she saw so much about their lives including all their secrets, and all the words they whispered into the silence, or the fray of battle when no one else could listen. How could she explain that out of all the people she knew Zell had meant the most, because he felt the most. He might have done a poor job at times of hiding his emotions, but no one, not even Squall could see how much Zell cared about everyone and everything. How could she explain that when humanity was sharing its labours and its ecstasies, she could only see it except for Zell, the closest she came to feeling anything at all was when she watched him, because he was just so. . . human.

When she didn't answer, Seifer raised his eyebrow, he had hit a sore spot, perhaps he had gone too far.

"I like him because he's Zell, and that's enough for me." Ciel smiled at her friend, then at her brother and the rest of the group.

"So there, now pass over those marshmallows, or I'll . . ."

"Throw a flaming piece of kindling at us?" Squall finished, passing his sister the fluffy white confectionary.

"Or even better, I'll throw a flaming marshmallow at you" Ciel laughed, the rest of the gang relaxing again, and sharing a hearty batch of campfire goodness.

"How're you going to do that if I have the marshmallows?"

"Correction, you DID have the marshmallows. . . Anyone have a pointy stick? Mine got all burnt to ash again"

"That's because you left your marshmallow in the fire too long. You've gotta wait until your marshmallow is crispy brown, then whip it out of the fire, before it can light into a lil' candy fire." Zell said, passing Ciel his stick, and spearing a marshmallow onto the end for her. The two smiled at each other, as Seifer whispered in Fujin's ear. Everyone laughed when she slapped him soundly across the chest. The fire crackled in their ears as the group of friends stayed out late into the night, with one lonely figure watching them from a distance.

* * *

"Laguna! Out, you mangey chipmunk!" Mrs. Jordan said, smacking Laguna over the head with a pair of pantyhose. 

"Ahh! Laguna! It's bad luck to see me in my dress!" Raine screamed and giggled, as Laguna retreated out of the room being chased by the firey woman and her nylons. Yelping loudly, Laguna tripped down a step to regain his composure, and turn with his hand over his eyes.

"I didn't mean it! I just. . . wanted to. . . please tell me those were Raine's pantyhose."

"Of course they were, don't you ever think I would hit you with my own knickers, now Laguna Loire."

"Thank you for small mercies, Mrs. J"

"Laguna!"

"Sorry Raine, I just. . . "

"Yeah?" Raine said, her voice anxious and slightly nervous.

"Well, out with it!" Mrs. Jordan snapped.

"I wanted to . . . Raine?"

"Yes, Laguna"

"I love you! I really really do. I just. . before Kiros finishes getting me into my penguin suit, and parading me to that crumbly fancy building with all the carnations and . . . stuff. . . we're gonna be happy."

"Yeah, Laguna. We're gonna be happy."

Laguna nodded, even as he heard Mrs. Jordan huff with an audible sigh.

"Yeah, I just wanted to promise you that. We're gonna be the happiest people in all of the whole wide universe, y'know?" Laguna massaged the back of his neck, and his knee as he stumbled to sit on the stair.

"I guess that's all I wanted to say. Just, wanted to tell ya. Please don't hit me" as he waited for what he thought was Mrs. Jordan come to shoo him away, a random scarf tugged its way around his eyes. Before the dumbfounded travel journalist could say anything, soft, warm, wonderfully womanly lips found his own, and he knew everything was going to turn out just fine. For as long as they could keep it.

* * *

Thursday afternoons usually left the cafe rather quiet, for this particular thursday: completely devoid of business. That suited Squall just fine as today had been deemed 'stock and shock day', the day he or whomever else was on got to order stock and get shocked at how expensive good whole bean coffee was by the pound. Here he was chewing a honey stick and twiddling a pen through his fingers as he read aloud the different blends of coffee he could order. The fact that he was lying on top of the counter chewing products that usually sold for a couple of shiny coins added just that little extra bit of 'don't blame me, I just work here'. To Squall's shock, the door jingled open, and someone or something stood breathing not two footsteps from it. 

"Yeah, gimme a second, I'll be right. . ." Squall was interrupted over the lists of dark roast, decaf and organic coffee by a voice that greeted him with the consistency of old, rusty nails on a sofa instead of a chalkboard.

"This is new."

Stopping short is an odd talent: it comprises of the inability to say anything, and a complete paralysis of the human body. Doing this in mid-roll without falling, however, is a genius' talent. Squall was a genius. Even as the honey stick slipped down out of his mouth, an uneasy silence slapped both people in the jaw, cracking and crackling like the static on an old tv in a storm. Time stopped, the clocks halted their infernally annoying tick-tock, and blinking became a luxury out of some dream.

"I.. . shouldn't be here. Funny, I kind of expected . . something, nevermind"

It took Squall all of three bounds to slam the door closed before the insanely nervous woman could exit the cafe. Awkward hands shook their way to locking the door, and flipping the Open sign to Closed, as the chocolate haired Squall silently shook deep in his gut.

"Rinoa" his breath was more of a whisper as he caught the rest of the thousand words deep in his throbbing, useless, clumsy throat. Her eyes. They were scared, so scared and so wide, and the exact mirror of his own. Another amazing invention of the human race was guilt, although not as amazing as love, it still held its place in the pantheon of the most useless emotions he could have been feeling at that one, single moment. Magically, the horror of staring into someone who may very well hate him faded and his thousand words escaped from their prison in his throat.

"I died for you. I would have, at least. If we could really die. I went through Time Compression, Sorceresses, War, battles, dancing, morning sickness, getting shot at by the one man that had a reason to shoot me, and all for. . you. I gave up my life and was ready to do anything I could for you and all I can do is stare at your fingernails" his voice caught in his throat, as he gingerly traced her fingers with his thumbs.

"I've been living the last six months in this tiny town and watched my sister and Zell fall in love, become a posse with Seifer and Fujin and Zell and Ciel, given up Garden, gone on more of a holiday than I've ever been on in my life, and hugged my father. Without the weirdness. Without you. You're it, Rinoa. Laguna was right, if I didn't love you I wouldn't have thrown myself out of a friggin' spaceship. I still love you, and that's the problem. I am incapable of letting you go. I'm. . . please tell me you're not engaged to somebody else right now, because you're crying."

Rinoa was in fact, crying, and her tears fell like rivers across the desert of the Cactars. Slowly, she unclenched her fingers from Squall and beat her head against the doorway softly, in agony. He didn't know what to do. She wrenched her hand away, and punched his chest weakly, tears flowing faster than gravity could pull them down. Soon she was sobbing and crying into his chest as he grabbed her with every muscle in his being, hugged her with his very soul.

"Please. . . please just. . . "

Then, the tears came. As he held her, he too began to cry, not much but silent tears streaking two by two down his face and scrolling over his vision, before quickly drying up before anyone human would realise they were there. All of it, the many wounds, Griever, their child, their failed engagement came rushing back, but it was alright. It was okay, because the more they tried to pull out of the embrace the more one or both of them would cling tighter, re-enter the embrace.

Hours later, Squall and Rinoa sat at one of the tables in Raine's bar turned cafe and drank from a seemingly neverending pot of tea. All that separated them was a couple of cups, a teapot, and one half full box of kleenex as they both found the tea's colour as interesting as a walking, talking, fandango dancing set of teacups.

Looking up from her fandango dancing teacup, Rinoa stared at the scar on Squall's brow.

"Will it ever get better?" her moseying eyes found the rims of Squall's, and sunk in past them to search his blue, wanting eyes.

"Honestly?" He asked, waiting until she nodded.

"I don't know. What I do know is, that I never should have left you alone."

Another awkward look between them, as Rinoa's eyes filled again with tears.

"What happens now? What do we do?" she whimpered, trying not to let the tears fall. Rustling furniture squeaked across the floor as Squall leaned on his knees to cradle the girl. The mother of his never-to-be-born child. May Griever guard him well.

"Come here. Come on." Rinoa shook her head, but Squall simply picked her up in his arms and walked her upstairs, even as her hands pushed him away.

"Please" Rinoa begged, as Squall placed her on his bed.

"Hush, Rinoa. It's alright. I'm not going to harm you. Understand? I never wanted to hurt you"

"I hurt you"

"Yes, you did. You left me out of your scheming and it cost us our child. I hated you, Rinoa, I wanted you to die, but.. . listen to me" he shook her shoulders lightly as Rinoa tried to retreat into the darkness.

"You are not to blame. Yea, it was a stupid, ignorant, horribly maddening thing to do and you did it, but if that is the one horrible, awful, maddening thing you ever do, then okay. Even we can overcome. I might not be a mercenary anymore, but I still own that big and pointey gunblade over there, I can still be your Knight, I can still do that for you" he caressed her cheek with his hand, thumbing her skin tenderly, his eyes set.

Slowly, Rinoa shifted her body to hug the pillow on the bed, tugging her hair behind her ear with the other hand.

"No, Squall. I don't want you to be my Knight. No more of that. I'm done. I'm tired of fighting, and I'm tired of blood and war, and walking through a mall with Selphie and getting tagged as the 'Girl who should have been frozen'. I'm not here as a Sorceress, I'm here as a woman who can't stop loving you even when she tries. Can't we just be Squall and Rinoa? Nothing more, just you and me? What do we do when the battles are over? We live, Squall. Time to wake up, can we start waking up now?"

Squall weighed her words carefully, leaning across the bed and tossing a sock across the distance to land somewhat beside his dresser.

"No. Rinoa, I woke up months ago, and you weren't there. No we can't wake up. You can, I've been waiting for you. I love you, Rinoa."

Closing the distance between them, Squall took the pillow and cast it aside with an audible thump on the wooden floor. Now that her pillow had been taken away, Rinoa stared at Squall, hurt and scared even as he came the remaining distance to her, grabbed her shoulders with tender fingers and kissed her with all the passion he felt for the girl in his arms.

They fell asleep under the Winhill moon, together again at last.

* * *

"Squall!! Twin Squall!! DAD!!" Ciel came careening up the stair, Zell in tow both of them laughing and teasing each other as they bounded the steps at the Presidential Palace in Esthar. Leaping through the door to Laguna's office, past a very surprised intern, the dynamically devious duo lunged into Laguna's office upsetting three days worth of unorganized paper work and the two Loire men who had been sharing coffee and tactical plans. 

"AACK! We're under fire!! Attack!" off went the stapler, as Laguna lept from his chair, and knelt behind it flicking staples at his child, even as Squall and Zell got into a wrestling match over the last jelly dougnut. Laughter prevailed, as Ciel tossed her body over the desk and landed unserepticiously into her father's arms.

"Hi, dad. How've ya been?" the ecstatic nineteen year old said. Everyone laughed as they began patching the office back together, and Kiros came in like a bat out of hell.

"Laguna! Are you. . . oh, hello Ciel, Zell. Would you care for some tea with all this destruction?"

"Got any hot dogs?" Zell piped up, still being held in Squall's sleeper hold. Zell reverted to the old flip-him-over and scramble up technique to get Squall off, and the four of them stood in the office in an oddly silent moment as Kiros shrugged out of the door.

"So, besides the sneak-attack on my presidency, what are you two hooligans here for?" Laguna finally said, sitting down on top of a kaleidoscope of paperwork and folders. Squall turned a chair back into the upright position and slopped down into it, thinking hard on what the two friends would want to blurt out. Then it hit him.

"You're not. Don't even, Zell!"

Nodding vigourously, Zell grinned a grin the size of the Ragnarok as Ciel smiled and slapped the back of her neck. Being completely clueless, Laguna watched the action instead. Although, as Zell slipped behind Ciel and put an arm around her, daylight began to glimmer.

"NO WAY!" he shouted, slapping his knee.

"Yes way! We're. . . dating!" Ciel said with a squeal. Squall's hand quickly connected with his forehead as his eyes rolled back. Rinoa was going to be in a squealing fit when he told her about this. Maybe he should let Ciel tell her, they could squeal a continent insane together. Zell's emphatic nodding got Laguna to the shocked place where he actually believed it. Where had this come from?

"Y'know, Ciel and I have been friends for a while now, and we talked about it and decided to give it a try."

"And if it doesn't work, we get to go back to being hot dog eating buddies!"

"Yeah!"

"I don't know what's more exciting, the dating or the hot dog buddies. . ." Laguna said in a whispered voice to Squall.

"I heard that, Daddy." Ciel snarked, putting her hands on her hips. What a day.

* * *

Laguna sat alone in his bedroom nursing the dregs of a bottle of port and stared at a random photograph from Raine's box. It was a picture of Raine while she was pregnant with the twins, and her hair had been held back with flowers, she had on a pale yellow dress, and was standing in the field of wild flowers. She was smiling. On the video screen, he had a home movie playing of Raine on their honeymoon in Fisherman's Horizon. 

"Laguna, put that down" Raine said with a giggle, her hands over her face, plastering the camera toward her feet.

"Not till I get a good shot of you." Laguna's voice came bubbling from the screen, so much younger than he was now.

"Why?"

"To show our kids someday, so's we can prove how cool we were back in the day"

Raine's laugh came ringing clearly from the speakers,

"You really think so?"

"Yeah, at least we'll watch them again to prove we were cool. See? Nothing to fuss over." A clear shot of Raine giggling away came up on the screen, as she walked closer to her husband.

"Says the guy behind the camera."

"Hah, I can counter that argument quite effectively my sweet." Laguna turned the camera so both of them could be seen, heads touching and sharing a quick kiss.

"Hullo future people! Laguna and Raine Loire here, and couldn't be happier! We were cool once! As is proven by this sexy woman before me. So, be good to your mother, and don't give me too much fuss and yeah, we'll all be happy. Just like now. It'll never end. Nothing really does."

* * *

"And now presenting, Mr. and Mrs. Lionheart!" the reverend yelled it over the mass of cheering, excited people as Squall and Rinoa shared their first kiss as a married couple. Another two years had passed in harmony and the world was becoming sweet in it's revelry. The gang was back in the swing of things, Selphie and Irvine had moved on to become top notch SeeD's, Quistis had become Commander of Garden, and Rajin, her constant companion, had been introduced back into the fold of mercenary life, never leaving her side. 

The bar had been doing excellent, Ellone, Seifer, Fujin, Squall, and Zell all took a part of the profits, living comfortably enough. Ciel's education in Esthar continued with vigour, and it looked as if she would take a liking into Politics, or something of the sort. The relationship between Ciel and Zell had been passionately rocky at times, which was wont to happen with good friends turned more, but they always made up and got closer because of it.

"Come on, Zell! I think I saw a group of fireflies!" Ciel tugged and pulled at her tuxedo wearing boyfriend, who slipped in his shiny shoes then laughed and followed along. Her dress shone green in the pale moonlight, and it flowed in whisps down to her feet in the breeze. In front of them stood the ghostly form of Griever, a toddler peeking out from behind his massive legs.

"Silly me, no fireflies just Griever." The large grin on Ciel's face salvaged Zell's freaked out shout. Instantly Zell folded Ciel to him protectively and lowered himself on his haunches, until he realised it was just Griever.

"Peace, Zell."

"You gotta stop scaring me like that." Zell said, now gripping his heart.

The apparition waved his hand amicably and bent low to come eye to eye with Ciel.

"Life goes on, little one. We shall now all find our peace. My congratulations to the addition to the Lionhearts." The toddler peeked out from behind Griever's leg again and waved. Ciel waved back with a grin.

"Heya little nefew. You make sure you watch as much as possible, kay? Oh, and if you get bored pitch Shiva and Ifrit against each other, its always good for a few giggles." The brown haired boy smiled and nodded, before skittering back behind Griever's leg as the massive apparition stood and crossed his arms over his chest.

"The peace shall begin, and all find our contentment therein. Farethewell my Princess. Wear your crown with pride. I will always be with you" The voice touched their ears as Griever faded from view, taking the Lionheart boy with him. Zell stood wide-eyed at the fading scene as he swerved his view to Ciel and thought for a moment, she wore a crown of stars.

"Hey! Everything alright out here?" Squall looked on from the Church as Seifer strolled out and asked about the shouts of alarm from Zell.

"False alarm." Zell answered quickly, smiling down at a grinning Ciel.

"Everything's all good." she nodded, looking between the three men with a knowing glint in her eye, "It's all gonna be great"

* * *

A/N: This is it, the epilogue and after how many years I've finally finished this fiction. I am sorry it took so long, I've been sitting on this chapter for months but today's the day. For all that have read and enjoyed this story, thank you. Enjoy life, and always make the time to dance. Listen to good music, eat healthy food and don't forget to smile.

God bless, Cursum Perifico.


End file.
